Roasted Leek and White Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cup cooked flageolet beans (Rancho Gordo; cooked simply with plenty of water and a couple of small Parmesan rinds, then drained; reserve the bean broth. For a vegan version, cook without Parmesan rinds.)
• 6 cup bean broth or vegetable stock (Bean broth from cooking the beans, and/or vegetable stock; for vegan version, use vegetable stock.)
• 4 leeks (Use the white and light green portions from four plump leeks; cut into 4–5 chunks per leek. Reserve the dark greens for another use. One roasted leek may be reserved, finely chopped, for garnish.)
• 8 cloves garlic (Use 8–10 cloves; nestle among the leeks before roasting.)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (For a vegan version, substitute tamari.)
• 1 tsp lime juice (Optional.)
• salt (To taste; add before roasting and adjust again in the soup.)
• black pepper (To taste; add before roasting and adjust again in the soup.)
• olive oil (Drizzle generously over leeks and garlic before roasting; drizzle over the soup before serving.)
• 2 Parmesan rinds (A couple of small rinds, used when cooking the beans; omit for the vegan version.)
• tamari (Substitute for fish sauce in the vegan version.)

Steps

1. 1

   While the beans are cooking, heat the oven to 400°F (about 200°C). Cut the white and light green portions of the leeks into chunks, about 4–5 chunks per leek; reserve the dark green tops for another use.

2. 2

   Place the leek chunks in a small oven-proof dish. Nestle the garlic cloves among them.

3. 3

   Drizzle the leeks and garlic generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Roast uncovered until the leeks are softened and lightly caramelized. The source does not give a roasting duration.

5. 5

   Puree the roasted leeks and garlic, then set the puree aside.

6. 6

   Add the drained flageolet beans and 6 cups of bean broth and/or vegetable stock to a soup pot. Raise the mixture to a high simmer.

7. 7

   Stir in the leek-garlic puree and fish sauce. Simmer for another 5–7 minutes.

8. 8

   Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the soup and serve with crusty bread.

9. 9

   For the optional leek garnish, reserve one roasted leek before pureeing, chop it finely, and use it to garnish the soup.

10. 10

    For a creamier variation, puree ½ cup of the beans together with the roasted leeks and garlic.

Notes

For a vegan version, cook the beans with vegetable stock instead of Parmesan rinds and use tamari instead of fish sauce. Serve with crusty bread. The source does not state the roasting time. The lime juice is listed as optional but the method does not specify when to add it; add only if desired. Bean cooking is assumed to have been completed before the soup method, and its detailed instructions are not provided.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• roasted
• comfort food
• vegan variation