Piedmontese white bean soup

Name: Piedmontese white bean soup
Cook time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 30g butter; 2 tbsp olive oil; 60g pancetta or bacon, chopped; 1 clove garlic, sliced; 1½ onions, chopped; 1 fresh bay leaf; 1½ cups dried cannellini beans, soaked for at least 5 hours; 3 cups chicken stock; 80g taleggio cheese; extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Brigitte Hafner

March 24, 2020

Piedmontese white bean soup .Marina Oliphant

Time:< 30 mins

A classic Italian bean soup from Piemonte - a real Italian staple. This is a hearty, sustaining soup with melted taleggio cheese, finished with extra virgin olive oil, that will keep you warm all afternoon.

Ingredients

30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
60g pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1½ onions, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
1½ cups dried cannellini beans, soaked for at least 5 hours
3 cups chicken stock
80g taleggio cheese
extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Method

Step 1
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add the pancetta, garlic and onions and cook over a medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, until softened and golden brown. Add the bay leaf, drained cannellini beans and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, skim the surface, partly cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook for 1½ hours or until the beans are soft, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Puree the soup. My tip to ensure the desired consistency: take about a cup of the liquid out and set it aside. Puree the soup and if it is too thick, simply add some of the reserved liquid.
Step 3
Chop the taleggio into small pieces and stir into the soup.
Step 4
Pour into individual bowls and finish with plenty of ground pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.