Italian Three Bean Soup Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING THREE-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, potato and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, parsley and pesto. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes. , Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

THREE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion, green and yellow bell peppers in oil until softened. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans. Heat through.

ITALIAN THREE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Pour in oil and saute onion and garlic until golden-brown. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and salt. Turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Sprinkle in cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze.

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Rinse beans and place in a large pot.
• Cover beans with 5 cups cold water.
• Bring water to a boil; reduce heat.
• Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• Alternatively, soak the beans overnight in cold water in a covered pan, then drain and rinse.
• In a 4 quart crock pot combine beans, 4 cups fresh water, tomatoes with juices, onion, bouillon, garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper.
• Cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 13 hours or on high heat setting for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2.
• Thirty minutes before serving, thaw green beans and stir into soup.
• Cook soup for 30 minutes more on high-heat until frozen beans are cooked and tender.
• Serve with garlic bread and a salad for a complete meal.

THREE-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Quarter leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces. Rinse leeks in a fine-mesh strainer and pat dry with paper towels. Smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef's knife and peel; set 2 cloves aside.
• Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and starting to crisp, 8-10 minutes. Add smashed garlic and 2 Tbsp. oil and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just beginning to turn golden 3-4 minutes. Add leeks, chopped fennel, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 Tbsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add lima beans, red pepper flakes, and 6 cups water and bring to a simmer. Partially cover pot, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer, occasionally skimming and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, until beans are slightly crunchy but not quite creamy, 25 minutes. Add Romano beans and snap peas, return to a simmer, and continue to cook, adding just enough water to keep beans submerged, until dried beans are creamy and fresh beans are just cooked through, about 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, pulse dill, zest of whole lemon, fennel fronds, and 1 reserved garlic clove in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, stream in 1/2 cup oil. Add 3/4 tsp. salt and squeeze in 2 tsp. lemon juice. Transfer pesto to a small bowl and set aside.
• Remove stew from heat and stir in crème fraîche, black pepper, and 4 tsp. lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Rub bread with remaining garlic clove, drizzle with oil, and season lightly with salt.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with pesto, then top with shaved Parmesan. Serve with garlic bread and remaining pesto alongside.

ITALIAN MIXED BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Pick through the dried beans and discard any shrivled or broken beans. Also watch out for tiny stones. You can use any mix of beans you like but my mix tends to inclue equal parts navy beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans.
• Put the beans in a large pot and add water enough to cover the beans by a good 3 inches. Cover and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. (alternately you can put the beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat, let stand for an hour. It yields a differnt texture but still yummy).
• Drain beans.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic until the onion becomes translucent or about 3 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, saute another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the 8 cups of water, bouillon cubes and beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Add lentils, tomatoes, spinach, ground red pepper, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes more.
• Both beans and lentils should be soft at this point. If they are not let them simmer longer.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.