Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Cannellini Bean Soup 3.3 (299) 8 Reviews By Lucinda Scala Quinn Lucinda Scala Quinn Lucinda Scala Quinn is the former executive editorial director of food and entertaining at Martha Stewart Living, She is also the author of six cookbooks and founder of kitchenware brand, Mad Hungry. Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 27, 2011 Rate PRINT Share Yield: 8 servings A dietary staple in Italian cuisine, cannellini beans bring tremendous flavor to this soup. Make it a day ahead of time -- it will taste even better when you're ready to eat it.From the book Lucinda's Rustic Italian Kitchen, by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Wiley). Ingredients 2 ½ cups dry cannellini beans 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 onions, chopped (about 2 cups) 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 small (6-inch) long carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced (about 1 ¼ cups) 4 celery stalks (the tender inner stalks with leaves), peeled and chopped (about 1 ¼ cups) ½ cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned ¼ cup fresh basil leaves ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon coarse salt Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground black pepper Directions Rinse the beans well and place in a large pot. Cover the beans with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Allow to soak for 1 hour. Place the olive oil, onions, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, after about 30 seconds, add the carrots and celery and continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 3 minutes. Add 6 cups of the soaked beans, cover with 10 cups of cold water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender and creamy, at least 1 1/2 but up to 2 1/2 hours. Add water if necessary to achieve desired consistency; the soup should be thick. Add the salt halfway through the cooking. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, freshly black ground black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Originally appeared: Mad Hungry, November 2010, Mad Hungry, November 2010 Rate It PRINT