GOURMET FAST
White bean soup with garlic crostini

White bean soup with garlic crostini

If you have time, you could make this soup with dried white beans instead of the canned ones; they’ll need to be soaked overnight and cooked for longer.

Serves 4



2 tbsp   extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1   Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2   garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra clove, halved, for rubbing
1 tsp   dried chilli flakes, or to taste
1.2 kg   canned white beans, drained, rinsed
1 litre (4 cups)   vegetable or chicken stock
2   fresh bay leaves
1½ tbsp   red wine vinegar, or to taste
8 thick slices   sourdough bread
To serve:   coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano


1 Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes), add chilli, stir to combine. Add beans, stock and bay leaves, simmer for 15 minutes, then pulse with a hand-held blender until partially puréed. Add vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.
2 Meanwhile, preheat a char-grill pan over high heat. Drizzle both sides of bread slices with a little olive oil, season to taste and char-grill, turning once, until toasted (1-2 minutes each side). Rub crostini with remaining garlic and place one slice in each serving bowl. Ladle over hot soup, scatter with herbs and serve with remaining crostini.

This recipe is from the May 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

RECIPE emma knowles PHOTOGRAPHY william meppem STYLING emma knowles & jason grant

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