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Tomato and Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • -BEANS-
  • 1 cup dried cannellini or other small white beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 onion, quartered through root end
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • -SOUP-
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 (28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces
  • Chopped, unsalted, roasted almonds (for serving)

Cooking Instructions

Beans

Step 1: Combine beans, onion, garlic, and bay leaves in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2″.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, add several pinches of salt, and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook at a bare simmer until beans are creamy but still hold their shape, 35-45 minutes.  Let beans cool in cooking liquid; discard bay leaves.

Do Ahead: Beans can be cooked 3 days ahead.  Cover and chill.

Soup

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high.  Add tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and cook tomatoes, undisturbed, until caramelized and borderline blackened on one side, about 5 minutes.  Break up tomatoes, scraping bottom of pot, and continue to cook, scraping and stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are caramelized all over, about 5 minutes more.  Transfer tomatoes to plate.

Step 2: Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium.  Add onion, fennel, garlic, and a pinch or so of red pepper flakes, if desired; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and starting to brown around edges, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in vinegar and tomatoes, scraping up browned bits.  Drain beans and add to pot along with broth (for a thicker soup, use half of the broth plus 2 cups bean-cooking liquid).  Bring to a simmer, season with salt.  Cook until flavors meld, 30-45 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in chard and cook until wilted.  Ladle soup into bowls, top with almonds, and drizzle with oil.

Do Ahead: Soup (without chard) can be made 4 days ahead.  Let cool; cover and chill.

Enjoy this hearty vegetable soup from Epicurious!