White Bean Soup with Garlic and Olive Oil
This white bean soup is rustic, silky, and built around plump beans simmered in a saffron-tinted broth. A squeeze of citrus, crumbled feta, and chopped olives makes each bite special.
The framework for this white bean soup comes from a wonderful recipe in Casa Moro, the second cookbook in the Moro cookbook series. Over the years, I've drifted on the ratio of ingredients quite a bit - heavier on the beans, lighter on the fennel, more casual with the saffron. I've also come to love finishing the soup with a few toppings I never skip (or skimp on): a squeeze of fresh orange or tangerine juice, crumbled feta, and lots of chopped olives. The saffron-tinted broth is silky and beautiful, and the soup itself is rustic, filling and exactly the way I like to eat.
White Bean Soup: Canned vs. Dried?
Let's talk about how I like to pull this soup together, starting with the beans. Many white bean soup recipes call for canned beans but I always cook this soup using dried beans for a couple of reasons. First, they maintain shape and structure well, instead of going to mush in the pot during the simmer. Second, cooking beans from dried gives you both plump flavorful beans and the rich broth that comes along with them. That broth is the stealth secret ingredient here - when you change it to something different (water, a different broth, etc.) it changes the foundation of the soup.
What To Serve With White Bean Soup
There are a lot of ways to make this soup even more of a meal. Here are a few ideas:
- Put an egg on it: More times than not I top this soup with a spoon-fried egg (pictured), or a poached egg. You get the added protein and extra staying power.
- Side Salad: Soup and salad is a classic combination for a reason. I love this cilantro salad alongside this soup, or something like this easy kale salad. Or, just poke around the salad recipes to find other ideas.
- Artichokes: If you see baby artichokes when you're shopping for the fennel called for in this recipe, grab them and cook them in olive oil until they're nice and brown and caramelized. I wrote this post about how to cook artichokes if you need a bit more instruction. Make a big platter full!
- Good Bread: thick slabs, well toasted, preferably rubbed with a peeled clove of garlic.
Variations:
I love the combination of caramelized fennel, saffron, and a squeeze of citrus in this soup, but you can certainly take it in other directions. For example, in place of the saffron, you could try a favorite curry powder. Just keep in mind that part of what makes this soup special is the subtle way the flavors meld together - they form a somewhat subtle, harmonious chorus. Stronger spices will bring something different entirely. Still good, but different.
Can I Freeze This Soup?
Yes! This soup freezes like a dream. Allow it to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze in portions. To reheat, I usually let the soup thaw a bit. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of a soup pan, transfer the block of frozen soup to the pan, cover, and heat over medium for a while. Stir now and then.
More Bean Soup Recipes
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- Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh)
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White Bean Soup with Garlic and Olive Oil
I love using the white caballero beans from Rancho Gordo in this soup, but if you have another white bean you keep on hand for soups, use them!
- 1 pound / 450 g dried white beans
- 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large fennel bulbs, about 450g
- 4 medium garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 5 medium waxy potatoes, 1/2-inch dice
- 8 cups broth (I like 4 cups leftover bean broth, 4 cups water)
- 80 threads of saffron, diluted in 2 tablespoons hot water
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Topping ideas: poached or fried egg, chopped fennel fronds, squeeze of fresh citrus (orange, lemon, tangerine, etc.), chopped olives, crumbled feta
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Rinse the beans and soak them overnight in water, or for at least 4-6 hours. Cook beans, covered by 3 inches of water, in a large pot per package instructions. Remove from heat when tender, 45 minute to and hour or so. When the beans have cooled a bit, strain and reserve the bean broth. Set the beans aside.
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To prepare the soup, pour the olive oil into a medium bowl. Trim any discoloration from the fennel bulbs, and wash well (check for dirt between layers). Finely dice the fennel, adding the diced fennel to the olive oil as you go. In your largest soup pot, over medium heat, stir in the fennel-olive oil mixture along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook the fennel, stirring regularly, until it starts to brown and caramelize 25-30 minutes or so. This really gives you some depth of flavor later on.
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Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, and potatoes, and cook for another few minutes. Add the broth and saffron water, stir, and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, another ten minutes or so. Stir in the drained beans. Season with salt, you'll likely need to add another 1 - 2 teaspoons or so to get it seasoned properly. Avoid under-seasoning or the soup with taste flat. Season generously with freshly ground pepper.
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Serve in bowls topped with any or all of the following: poached or fried egg, feta, chopped olives, fennel fronds, and a big squeeze of citrus. Enjoy!
Serves 8.
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Comments
This soup was surprising good. I do not like saffron so per your suggestion i used curry but just a pinch. I would definitely make it again.
This recipe caught my eye when it was posted last week, as I had a jar of white beans in the cupboard. Using the bean cooking broth is brilliant-really made a substantial and satisfying broth. My only disappointment was that I didn’t register much fennel flavor (though the fragrance was there while cooking) but I didn’t crush the fennel seeds before adding, so I think that would be my move next time.
This looks fabulous.Is 80 threads of saffron correct? That sounds like a lot of counting
Just eyeball it somewhat – a pinch, and add more if you want more.
Revisit to this recipe: Had the tonsillectomy recently and froze some of the soup prior to blending. Now that I can eat “real” food again, I absolutely loved it as you posted it. Delicious with the garnishes. I think it would be great blended with the garnishes as toppings, too. What a great, delicate flavor profile that can be customized to anyone’s preference. I can see making this again and again!
Thanks for the comment Michelle – I’m making it again right now too!
This was absolutely delicious! We didn’t have saffron so I used 1 tsp. mild curry powder which matched very well with the fennel. We’ll be making this again and often!
Fantastic Melanie! Glad you enjoyed it.
I read your weekly newsletter this morning and was drawn in by the idea of this soup. Only problem is that i just had a tonsillectomy and am on a smooth food diet. The idea of ice cream and smoothies got old very fast. So, I made this soup, minus the citrus and any garnishes, and blended it smooth. Delicious!
Oh! Love the variation Michelle!
I love the sound of this and will definitely try it. Your ribollita recipe is a regular in our house so this will be an interesting change.
It was interesting to click through to the Rancho Gordo website and look at the different varieties. I’ve recently bought some dried white kidney beans here is New Zealand from a middle eastern store. They are quite a different shape to the red kidney beans we get here. Looking at RG’s website, shape wise they are more like a lima / corona / cassoulet or butter bean. Currently soaking them for this and excited to try them!
Would this be good if I use chickpeas instead?
Give it a try!
The mention of Rancho Gordo’s white caballero beans got me thinking about how different beans can really change a soup’s vibe. I was reading this while having a quick coffee break, and thought, saffron in a soup? That’s brilliant! Who would have thought?
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