Creamy White Bean Soup with Rosemary, Lemon & Heritage Olive Oil

At the Lello table

White bean soup becomes elegant when its ingredients are few enough to be legible. A little rosemary perfumes the pot, lemon keeps the beans from tasting flat, and a generous ribbon of olive oil supplies the richness cream often does not need to provide.

Method

1. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Add the beans, stock and Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the rind. Reserve about 1 cup / 170 g of beans and some broth, then blend the remaining soup until smooth. Return it to the pot and add the reserved beans back in for texture.
4. Season with the salt, pepper, lemon zest and enough lemon juice to brighten the soup without making it sharp.
5. Serve in warm bowls with parsley and a generous drizzle of additional olive oil.

Cook’s notes

• The soup should be creamy by virtue of the beans themselves, not because of added cream.
• Olive oil on the surface is part of the dish, not merely decoration.
• Blend only until smooth; overprocessing can make bean soups slightly gluey.

Substitutions

• Great Northern beans work well in place of cannellini beans.
• Chicken stock may replace vegetable stock if preferred.
• A little chopped kale or escarole can be stirred in at the end for a greener version.

To serve

Serve with grilled bread rubbed with garlic or a bitter salad.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Loosen with stock or water when reheating.