Happy 2016! Feels so good to be back here after a couple weeks off. We stayed home for the break and were able to spend lots of time catching up with family and old friends. Our own family time was filled was lots of cooking, baking, playing, and laughing, but also we experienced our fair share of sibling squabbles and arguments and I lost my patience too many times to count. It was another realizationthat I am not yet what I ought to be and there is so muchgrowing to do. So here’s to fresh starts, new beginnings, and moving ahead with humility and grace.
This soup is the perfect one to reset as we all try to refocus ourselves on healthy eating. It’s full of plump creamy cannellini beans and enough vegetables to make you feel virtuous. Sage, rosemary, and thyme is infused throughout and my favorite little parmesan toasts add the finishing touch. It’s simple, but right now I can’t think of anything more inviting than a quietly simmering pot on the stove. Wishing you all the best to what’s ahead in this new year.
Cannellini Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Toasts
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound cannellini beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, and rinsed again
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 8 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 small bunch Swiss chard, stalks removed and leaves coarsely chopped
- 3/4 pound green cabbage, core removed and coarsely chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
Parmesan Toasts
- 1 baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices
- olive oil
- finely shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place with beans in a large pot with 10 cups of water. The water should cover the beans by at least an inch. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2- 2 hours. Skim away any foam that rises to the surface. Begin the rest of the soup while the beans cook.
- In an 8-quart pot or bigger, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables soften, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and stir for another minute. Stir in the zucchini and broth, increase the heat, and bring to a simmer. Add the swiss chard, cabbage, and crushed tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat for about an hour.
- Discard the sage and rosemary from the pot of beans. Add the beans and their cooking liquid to the vegetables. Stir in salt and pepper and simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until beans are soft and tender. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and top with parmesan toasts.
Parmesan Toasts
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Brush baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkle on a few teaspoons of parmesan on each.
- Bake toasts for about 10 minutes until edges turn golden brown.
Notes
adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life
« Almond Biscotti Christmas Tree
Miso Roasted Veggie Flatbreads with Green Tahini Yogurt »
Share
Similar Posts
- Instant Pot Garlicky White Beans with Broccolini and Toasted Panko Crumbs
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Grain Bowls with Herbed Tahini Dressing
- Bean and Veggie Tamale Pie
Reader Interactions
25 Responses to Cannellini Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Toasts
emily i love your words, moving ahead with ‘humility and grace’ – such a true and beautiful sentiment. as well this soup is everything i want & crave in our cold season, it’s so gorgeous! i am such a legumes lover, and i think they’re forever graceful when luxuriating in warm and steamy broths with vegetables. happy 2016 sweet lady! xo
Emily says
Thank you, Danielle,for your sweet words and encouragement. I do love how legumes add such a comforting heartiness to soups as well. Sending warm hugs over to you. xo
Isabella says
I adore warming soups like this, yours looks like a big warm hug in a bowl – perfect for a chilly January day! Gorgeous photographs!!
Emily says
So glad you stopped by, Isabella. Thank you!
Madeline says
This sounds so amazing! I love your blog too. Your photos are so visually stunning and I love how minimalist the design is! Definitely want to scroll/stalk more of your blog later when I have time! ; )
Pinning this now!
Emily says
Aw thanks, Madeline So happy you stopped by. 🙂
i just came across your recipe on foodgawker + had to follow the link, pin the recipe AND stop by to say how delicious your soup looks! i hope to make it soon!
See AlsoGourmetrecepten met vleesEmily says
Hi Kelly! Thanks so much for pinning and taking a moment to comment. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Aysegul says
This soup is exactly what I need right now on a very cold Philly morning. And it is just so beautifully photographed.
So glad you enjoyed your holidays.
Happy new year! Cheers Emily!Emily says
I know, it all of the sudden got so COLD! I just love all of your photos as well, Aysegul. Happy Friday!
Emily this soup sounds just wonderful! I am in need of something hearty and warm on this chilly winter day! Your photos are absolutely beautiful!
Emily says
Thank you, Mary Ann! Soup is the ultimate comfort food in winter, isn’t it? Hope you are well!
annie says
So pretty! So hearty! I love a good bean soup with lots of veggies in it too, because of how healthy and filling they are at the same time.
P.S. hurrah for getting the top line on the first page of foodgawker. That’s huge, you go girl!
Emily says
I’ve submitted so many times and this was my first time ever getting that spot on FG. 🙂 Thank you, Annie!
Liora says
Hi Emily, Happy 2016! This soup looks so warming, comforting, and delicious. I absolutely love Cannellini beans, especially for soups. I once subbed in navy beans and it just wasn’t the same. I was also so excited to see you featured on food gawker- it came up on my instagram!
Amanda Paa says
wishing you all the love and happiness in 2016, Emily! this looks like the perfect soup to kick it off with – fresh and fulfilling. xo
This looks so cozy and comforting, Emily! Perfect to sooth those squabbles ;). I adore you and your honest heart. I hope you are having a fantastic end to your weekend, and that we sent some snow your way! 😉
Augggh… squabbles and all; so much a part of family life. Agreed, patience is key, but often hard to be mindful of. It’s a practice I feel like I’m always working on! No doubt a simmering pot of soup on the stove would be so welcome right now. It’s sooo cold out! I love cannellini beans, one of my favorite. They’re so buttery, filling and nourishing. Perfect to slip into a pot of soup. Happy New Year my dear!
Lena says
Looks amazing! Is it possible to make this soup with canned cannellini beans? Thank you!
Emily says
Hi Lena! Yes you can use canned beans, but it won’t have quite the same flavor since won’t the beans won’t have been simmered with the rosemary and sage. To use canned beans, I would use 3 cans of drained beans and extra chicken or vegetable broth in place of the water. Since you won’t need to simmer the beans, I would add them and the extra broth after the vegetables have had some time to cook. Add the rosemary and sage to the vegetable mixture and discard at the end. I hope that all makes sense!
This soup sounds right up my alley. Cannelini beans are by far my favorite bean, with black beans a close second!! I put them in everything though. This soup just looks and sounds like perfection! Thanks for the recipe!
Much love,
Heather @ Simple Fresh NaturalEmily says
Thank you, Heather! Yes, aren’t cannellini simply the best? And black beans are a favorite too- so versatile! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
Terry says
Soup sounds great. Am in a hurry situation and wondering if I could use canned beans?
Emily says
Hi Terry, This is one of the few recipes where I think canned beans make an inferior substitute. Since both the beans are their rosemary-infused cooking liquid are used in the final soup, I think using started with the dried beans is important. This minestrone soup would be a good alternative if you’d like to use canned beans. Parmesan toasts would make a great addition to this one as well. Hope this helps.
