Creamy White Bean Soup With Bacalao And Piquillo Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, making sure the pieces sit in a single layer (if they don't, remove some and work in batches). Cook, stirring several times, until no longer pink on the outside and golden brown in places, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Add the onions to the pot. If there are lots of browned bits on the bottom that look like they might burn, add 2 tablespoons of broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook the onions, stirring frequently and adding more broth to the bottom of the pot as needed, until completely tender, about 10 minutes. Add the white beans and remaining broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook over medium heat until the beans split open, about 10 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot until completely smooth or carefully transfer the hot liquid to a blender to puree. Season the soup with salt. Serve the soup topped with the sausage.

Steps:

• Place salt cod in a bowl, cover with cold water and refrigerate for 48 hours, changing water 7 times. Place beans in a bowl, and cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches. Soak overnight.
• Melt duck fat or butter in a large saucepan. Add pancetta, onion and carrots, and saute over medium heat until golden. Drain beans and add them, then pour in the chicken stock. Tie sprig of thyme, 1 sprig parsley and 2 bay leaves together and add. Simmer, partly covered, about 40 minutes, skimming if necessary, until beans are tender. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Season to taste with salt, white pepper and Espelette pepper or paprika.
• Discard herb bundle. Remove 6 tablespoons beans and reserve. Place remaining contents of saucepan in a food processor or blender, puree, then pass through a fine strainer. Return to saucepan, add cream and reheat. Add vinegar and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside until serving time.
• Drain salt cod, place in a saucepan and add milk, garlic and remaining bay leaves. Bring barely to a simmer and cook 7 minutes, until cooked through. Reserve milk.
• In a nonstick skillet, warm reserved beans over medium heat and crush with fork. Drain and break up salt cod and mix it with beans, along with piquillo peppers, 1/3 cup olive oil and leaves from remaining sprigs of parsley.
• Reheat soup and check seasonings. Thin with a little reserved milk if needed. Place a mound of bean and salt cod mixture in center of each of 8 soup plates. At table, pour soup from a pitcher or carafe into each bowl, and drizzle each with a little remaining olive oil.

Steps:

• Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium. Add the shallots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if using) and rosemary (if using); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if needed to avoid browning the vegetables.
• Add the stock and rinsed beans, and bring to a boil over high. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook over medium-high until flavors meld and stock thickens, about 15 minutes.
• While the soup cooks, prepare the paprika oil: Heat 1/3 cup oil in a small skillet over the lowest heat on your smallest burner. Add the paprika and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, just until toasted and flavors bloom, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain, discarding flakes, then set paprika oil aside.
• Working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, adding half-and-half or almond milk to thin to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide among bowls and drizzle with strained paprika oil to serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil. Cook onion and celery in oil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, continually stirring. Stir in beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
• With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture from soup and set aside.
• In blender at low speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth, (it helps to remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow steam to escape.) Once blended pour soup back into stock pot and stir in reserved beans.
• Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.