Satisfied Cravings: Favorite recipes from cookbooks I've reviewed.
Tuscan Kale and Bread Soup
Makes 8 to 10 cups, serving 6
| 1 cup dried cannellini beans, Roman beans, or borlotti beans |
| 1 sprig fresh rosemary |
| 1 ½ teaspoon salt |
| 3 large slices dried porcini mushroom |
| 1 ¾ ounces pancetta, chilled or frozen |
| ¼ cup olive oil |
| 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped |
| 1 small celery rib, thinly sliced |
| 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced |
| 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic |
| 1 pound Tuscan kale, or ½ pound tender kale and ½ pound Savoy cabbage |
| ½ cup tomato puree |
| Pinch of mixed spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves |
| Freshly ground black pepper |
| 12 slices dense country bread, grilled or toasted and rubbed generously with garlic clove |
| A cruet of extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1. Pick over the beans. In a large saucepan, soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover. |
| 2. Drain the beans and cover with 2 ½ quarts fresh cold water. Add the rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook at the simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Midway add ½ teaspoon salt. Discard the herb sprig. |
| 3. Wash and soak the mushroom slices in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Shred the pancetta to make about ¼ cup. |
| 4. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. |
| 5. Meanwhile, wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stems. Finely chop the leaves; add to the saucepan and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, soaking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, the tomato puree, and the mixed spices and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes. |
| 6. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Push half the cooked beans through a food mill fitted with a fine blade, or puree them in a food processor. Add the pureed beans, whole beans, and about 6 cups of the cooking liquid to the saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. (The soup can be prepared earlier in the day up to this point. When cool, cover and set in a cool place until ready to reheat, 20 minutes before serving.) |
| 7. Correct the seasoning of the soup with salt and plenty of black pepper and reheat to boiling. Place slices of grilled bread in a 3-quart soup tureen made of earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain and pour on the hot soup. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Pass a cruet of extra-virgin olive oil at the table. |
