Easiest White Bean Soup

This is a true story: When I wrote up the Easiest White Bean Soup for The Weekday Vegetarians (page 78), I actually asked myself: Is it too easy? As in, will anyone learn anything from making this recipe? Turns out, when the clock strikes 7:00, dinner-makers care less about learning something new and more about feeding the hungry charges at their table; it remains one of the most popular of the book, and I’m pretty sure it could be your dinner tonight.

Easiest White Bean Soup with Gigantic Croutons and Pesto

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, or 3 (15-ounce) cans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 thick-cut slices crusty bread, such as ciabatta
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)

Optional serving suggestions: Store-bought pesto; Chopped fresh chives; Broiled scallions (toss one bunch trimmed scallions, with stems, in 2 tablespoons olive oil, place on a foil-lined sheet pan, and broil for 5 minutes; let cool and roughly chop)

In a stockpot set over low heat, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sauté. until the onion is golden and slightly caramelized, stirring often, for as long as you have patience, but a minimum of 5 to 7 minutes. (A lot of the depth in

this soup will come from caramelizing the onion, so the longer, the better.) Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beans and just enough stock to cover. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to an aggressive simmer until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, scoop out and set aside about 1 cup of the beans. Stir the vinegar into the pot, then puree the soup using a handheld immersion blender. Set back on the stove top over low heat to keep warm.

Preheat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and broil on the top rack of the oven just until toasted but not quite golden, about 1. minutes. (Watch carefully so they don’t burn.) Flip them over, brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and broil until the cheese has melted, about another 60 to 90 seconds. Remove from the oven. Serve the soup in large shallow bowls, placing one giant crouton in the middle of the soup along with a few reserved beans, the pesto, scallions, and chives, if using.

Drizzle with more olive oil just before serving.

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