Vacharo beans are locally-dried heirloom beans that are cow-speckled (I have seem others like them called "brown speckled cow beans"). They taste similar to cranberry beans, but unlike cranberry beans they retain their speckled nature upon cooking, so are nicely eye-catching in any soup.
Paired with a few of my favorite winter veggies (sunchokes and kale), along with the intense flavors of the tomato-rosemary drizzle, this combination is a wonderful and warming "après-ski" soup!
Ingredients
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, white part only, cleaned and diced
- 1 t. salt + to taste
- 1/2 t. pepper + to taste
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sunchoke tubers, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 4 cups dried vacharo beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- parmesan rind
- 2 t. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 c. dry sherry
- 1/4 c. sherry vinegar
- 4 sundried tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 t. fresh rosemary
- high-quality extra virgin olive oil
- ricotta salata shavings for garnish
Preparation
- Heat olive oil at medium-high heat in large stockpot or dutch oven.
- Add onion, leek 1/2 t. salt and 1/4. t. pepper. Saute until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add carrot, garlic, and sunchokes and saute until softened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add 1/2 c. white wine, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until wine is absorbed and pan is dry, about 3-4 minutes longer.
- Add cranberry beans, vegetable broth, bay leaf, parmesan rind, rosemary, and additional 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper.
- Bring to boil and simmer at medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until beans and sunchokes are soft. Add additional broth as needed to maintain liquid over all ingredients.
- While soup is simmering, make tomato-rosemary drizzle: in food processor add garlic cloves and pulse until minced. Add tomatoes and rosemary, turn on processor and slowly pour olive oil until well-pureed and combined with enough liquid to drizzle into soup (should be somewhat thinner than a pesto).
- Just before serving, add dry sherry and sherry vinegar and simmer for additional 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, particularly salt and pepper.
- Serve soup with a spoonful of the tomato-rosemary drizzle and ricotta salata shavings.
Serves: 8-10 for dinner (or 4 with lots of leftovers)
Serving Suggestions: Serve with garlic-parmesan croutons or crostinis
Related Posts: Delicious, Nutty Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes)
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