Yield: 6 to 8 portions
This is a subtle recipe that is surprisingly tasty
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 4oz package chopped pancetta
- 1 yellow onions cut into quarters
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into small pieces
- 2 celery stalks cut into pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced by hand
- 3 cans (each 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
- 4 cups (1 quart) unsalted chicken broth
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
- Pulse the onions, carrot and celery in a food processor until chopped not pureed (use “pulse” not “on” button)
- Use a large Dutch oven over medium high heat – let pot warm up until hot
- Melt olive oil and butter in pot
- Add pancetta and cook stirring occasionally until crispy about 5 minutes (will render fat and generate brown bits, all creating flavor)
- Add onions, carrots and celery mixture and cook stirring occasionally until beginning to soften about 10+ minutes until translucent
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute – do not let burn or overcook
- Add chicken broth and thyme and bring to a boil
- Once at boil reduce to a simmer
- Cook for 15 to 25 minutes to make sure the vegetables are cooked and to create a more flavorful vegetable broth – vegetables should soften a bit and give off some flavor
- Add cannellini beans and bring back to a boil
- Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until the beans are tender about 10 minutes
- Remove the pot from the heat
- Using a handheld immersion blender puree the soup until smooth (alternatively, you can – working in batches – use a blender if you don’t have a handheld immersion blender
- Slowly stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper to taste
- Cover to keep the soup warm
- Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately
- Best with toasted bread and butter