Tuscan White Bean Soup

An Entry to Soup's On!
Thanks Alanna for hosting such a fabulous and hearty event .

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a bowl of rich , hearty soup. Soups are eaten in almost every corner of the world and over the years certain soups have become associated with particular countries. From Italy I bring the best of their soups,my take to Tuscan White bean soup.

The White bean soup of Tuscan is unforgettable,....white bean in rich , thick chicken broth laden with the taste of organic vegetables like carrots, broccoli peas, zucchini, and garlic. I made this soup for the first time for Christmas dinner and it was an instant hit. Its a classic soup.

People today eat soup for different reasons than they did yester years. Once considered an inexpensive meal for the poor, soup has become popular among the health conscious people. There is a saying about soups in Southern Italy that states, " Settle cose fa la zuppa." which translate to , "Soups does seven things.It relieves your hunger, quenches your thirst , fills your tummy, cleans your teeth, makes you sleep , helps you digest and colors your cheeks." Give it a try and you will this saying will prove itself right.

Buon Appetito!!

Serves 6
For the beans:
1 pound dried cannelloni or navy beans, store bought cooked can is also good, 1 can of it.
1 cup cooked cubed chicken (omit if you are vegetarian)
1/2 cup of Pasta or your choice, smaller the better.
1/4 cup wild rice, washed thrice in running cold water
1 quart chicken stock (I use Organic with less sodium,can also use vegetarian broth)
1 can of Rotel (found in pasta sauce section), my kick to the original version
1 tablespoon of Mexican chili mix, my kick to the original version

Now come Veggies:
1 small yellow onion or shallot
1 celery rib,
1 carrot
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 crown of broccoli chopped into small bite size pieces.
3 scallions ,chopped
1 small green bell pepper or any sweet pepper.
2 bay leaf(prefer a fresh one,otherwise dry one is also good)

Spices:
Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt or kosher
1 teaspoon soy sauce(my kick)
1 teaspoon hot sauce(my kick)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
ground black pepper
1/4 tablespoon of garlic powder(whats Italian without garlic!!)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves for garnish
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Precook the beans: Soak the beans in hot water for couple of hours. Place the beans in a saucepan and add cold water to cover by 2 inches.

1. Add a handful of salt like you would do with pasta. You need quite a bit of salt to get the flavor all the way to the center of the beans. Bring to a boil, cover, cook until texture is almost tender and remove from the heat. Let stand for 1 hour, then drain. Otherwise just use the canned bean from the grocery store. Careful to drain the liquid before adding it to the soup.


2. In a sauce pan ( I use versatile 5Q chilli pot for everything) reduce a chicken broth to 50% of its quantity ( reducing gives it an intense flavour) .


3. In it add Beans, Wild rice, Chicken , Pasta , Rotel and Chilli Mix , all the spices and chopped vegetables. **(Tip: Chop all the vegetable in one size so that they all cook at the same time)


4. Add salt with enough water to cover the soup by 2 inches. Slowly simmer for good 20 minutes.


5. Take out 1 cup of the cooked soup and puree it in a blender or food processor( optional step). Then add this puree back into the remaining soup and stir. This will give your soup some texture instead of big rustic look. You can also do this by adding any thickening agent.


6. To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowl. Float any kind of toasted bread or garlic sticks on top of each bowl. Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese, which I omit due to calories. This soup loves to be made the day before. Reheat slowly and add water if too thick.