Recipe: White Bean Soup with Parmesan Rinds and Roasted Garlic Gremolata

White Bean Soup with Parmesan Rinds and Roasted Garlic Gremolata
From: Lighter, Quicker, Better by Richard Sax

Leave a pot of this hearty soup simmering on the back of the stove on a Saturday morning as you go about other chores. Although some beans can be soaked for as little as three or four hours, the dryness of beans is unpredictable, so its always a good idea to soak them overnight. The parmesan rinds are not essential, but they make a delicious addition to this soup. As you use up your wedge of Parmigiano- Reggiano, cut the hard rinds into 1/4-inch strips and freeze them in a plastic container. Then when you make a pot of white bean soup, simmer the rinds along with the beans. They impart a nice salty edge to the soup. Depending on how hard and dry they are, the rinds will turn to soft, or just chewy, morsels. Bits of ham or prosciutto also make a nice addition.

Makes 8 servings

1 pound dried cannellini beans, rinsed
2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
2 tablespoons water
8 to 10 cups unsalted Chicken or Vegetable Broth, fat skimmed
2 or 3 whole carrots
1 bay leaf
1 fresh or dried sage leaf (optional)
8 pieces (1/4 x 2-inches) Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gremolata (recipe follows

Soak the beans overnight. Drain beans.

Combine the onion, garlic, olive oil, and water in a large wide saucepan, preferably nonstick. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until golden, about 15 minutes. Do not brown.

Add 8 cups of the broth, carrots, bay leaf, and sage, if using. Add the beans. Heat to boiling. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and liquid is reduced to an almost creamy consistency, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add more broth as needed throughout the cooking time. Add the parmesan rinds during the last hour of cooking.

Remove the carrots to a side dish. Discard the bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups of the beans to a food processor and puree them. Return to the saucepan, Cut the carrot into 1/2-inch slices and return to the saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle lightly with Gremolata.

Roasted Garlic Gremolata

Gremolata is a combination of minced garlic, parsley, and lemon zest traditionally used to garnish osso buco in Milan. We make it with garlic that's been roasted to tame and sweeten its flavor.

6 garlic cloves, loose skins removed, thin skin left on, drizzled or brushed very lightly with olive oil
1/3 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley, roughly cut up
2 strips (2x3/4-inch each) lemon zest, cut up

Heat the oven to 400F. Place the garlic cloves in a pie plate and roast until garlic is soft when pierced with a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Cool the garlic slightly. Slip off peels and trim hard ends. There should be about 2 tablespoons. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley and lemon zest in a food processor (or by hand). Combine the roasted garlic and parsley-lemon zest mixture.

Happy Cooking!

Betsy
www.recipelink.com