Last weekend I discovered beautiful baby leeks at the farmer's market, and gorgeous fresh cranberry beans to pair with them, and I love the way the combination turned out. While such opportune moments to find both of these ingredients are rare, this recipe is also wonderful made with regular leeks and dried cranberry beans.
Cranberry Bean and Baby Leek Soup from Claudina's Kitchen
Ingredients
olive oil
1 baby fennel, thinly sliced
1 bunch baby leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
1/2 t. salt + to taste
1/4 t. pepper + to taste
2
carrots, diced small
3 cloves garlic
2 cups freshly-shelled cranberry beans or 1 cup dried beans, (for dried beans, rinse and soak over night)
4 cups vegetable broth
6 oven roasted tomato halves (or 10 sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped and soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes)
1 bay leaf
3
thyme sprigs
1/4 c. sherry wine
Garlic croutons or crostinis for garnish
1/4 c. Parmesan reggiano, freshly shaved, for garnish
Preparation
- Drain beans from overnight soaking and simmer in stockpot with fresh water and bay leaf for one hour until fully cooked. Drain again.
- Heat olive oil in dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat.
- Sauté fennel and leeks with 1/4 t. salt and pinch of pepper until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and carrots and continue to cook, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes longer.
- Add cranberry beans, broth, tomatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and another 1/4t. salt and generous pinch of pepper.
- Cook at simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add 1/4 c. sherry wine. Simmer 5 minutes longer.
- Remove from heat and remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with garlic croutons or crostinis and freshly shaved parmesan reggiano.
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