Simple Bean Soup from El Bulli (world's all time greatest re

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove (large, minced)

1 brown onion (,, 1 large, 2 small, finely chopped, ~180g/6oz)

1/4 tsp fresh thyme (, chopped, sub 1/8 tsp dried)

1/4 tsp fresh rosemary (, chopped, sub 1/8 tsp dried)

1 bay leaf (, fresh, or 1/2 dried)

1/3 cup tomato passata (Note 1)

4 x 400g/14oz cans cannellini beans (, drained, Note 2 for dried)

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup fresh parsley leaves (, roughly chopped, ie chop then lightly pack in)

1 garlic clove (medium, roughly chopped)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts (, skin on, or almonds)

1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt, Note 4)

Directions

Saute onion and herbs 8 minutes: Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, herbs and cook, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until the onions are a deep golden brown and sweet.

Cook tomato passata 8 minutes: Add tomato passata and cook over low heat for another 8 minutes until the tomato changes from red and watery to dark brown a d very thick. Don't skimp on this step, it's key for flavour!

Simmer: Stir in the beans followed by the vegetable stock. Adjust heat so it's bubbling very gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off.

Blitz: Transfer 2/3 cup (150ml) of soup into a jug or jar large enough to fit the head of a blender stick. Blitz until smooth then stir it back into the soup to thicken the broth.

Stir in Picada: Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of Picada. Taste and add more salt if needed (canned beans differ in salt). Then serve immediately.

Serve: Dollop each bowl with 1 teaspoon of remaining Picada. Crusty bread highly recommended (easy Artisan, no yeast bread or French brioche).

Picada:

Toast hazelnuts: Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add hazelnuts and toast, shaking the skillet regularly, until there are golden patches and they smell nutty.

Remove most skin: Transfer hazelnuts to a clean tea towel. Bundle up and rub vigorously with hands to remove most of the skin (which is bitter). (No need to do this with almonds)

Blitz: Roughly chop hazelnuts then add into a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender with remaining ingredients. Blitz until it's like pesto - not completely smooth. Use per recipe.

Notes

DRIED BEANS (navy, cannellini or other white beans) – you will need 2 1/2 cups of any dried white beans.

1 can = 1 3/4 cups beans once drained

Recipe calls for 4 cans = 7 cups beans

1 cup dried beans = 2 3/4 cups cooked

So you will need 2.5 cups dried beans (2.5 x 2.75 = 7 cups cooked beans)

HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS – soak in plenty of water (beans will triple in volume) 5 – 24 hrs. Drain bring to boil then gently simmer in a large pot of water with 1 tbsp salt* partially covered with a lid. The cooking time will vary wildly depending not just on size/type of beans, but also the age of beans. Fresh dried cannellini beans, 24 hr soak = 25 minute cook. Old large lima beans could take over 2 hours.

Start checking at 25 minutes, and the closer they are to being ready, check every few minutes. They are ready when they’re almost tender all the way through, they will finish cooking in the soup.

SALT – If using large dried beans, add partway through cooking. If using smaller beans (like cannellini) just add at the start (it won’t make them tough or increase cook time).

Nutrition

• Calories: 304 kcal
• Total Fat: 12 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Sodium: 1352 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 42 g
• Dietary Fiber: 13 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 15 g