The inspiration for this soup comes from my favourite restaurant in Old San Juan, Marmalade. Their tasting menus are to die for and I always make a point to visit when I’m in town.
One of Chef Peter Schintler’s signature dishes is a Tiny White Bean Soup that is unbelievably delicious and it inspired me to try make something similar at home. His recipe can be found all over the internet, (here and here, for example) but I wanted to adapt it slightly, making it a little less rich (and more diet-friendly) without the heavy cream. My recipe also requires a lot less prep time so is suitable for a quick weeknight dinner.
2 cans of small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups of low sodium chicken stock
4 pieces of bacon
2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
Salt and Pepper to season
Truffle oil to finish
Serves 4
:: Chop bacon into 1/2″ pieces and cook on a medium to high heat in a large saucepan. Remove bacon pieces when nicely crispy and set aside, add the onion, celery and garlic to cook in the rendered bacon fat.
:: After 8-10 minutes, once the onion has become translucent add the drained white beans, stir through the pan and then add the chicken stock. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.
:: Remove the beans and veg from the stock with a slotted spoon, add a spoonful of broth and blend until silky smooth. Add the puréed veggies and beans back to the rest of the stock and finish with an immersion blender to ensure that everything is well combined and perfectly smooth.
:: Dry sauté the slices of scallion in a hot pan until slightly charred and use to garnish your bowls of soup along with the crumbled bacon and a swirl of truffle oil.
It’s super more-ish so try not to eat the whole pan yourself – enjoy!
