White Bean Parmesan Soup
NORMAL | 8-10 HOURS | SERVES 4-6
Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio, NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
1 pound dry cassoulet beans, soaked overnight
and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. Parmesan, hard
rinds cut off and reserved,
the rest grated for serving
1 cup wheat berries
¼ cup ENZO Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large onion, finely
chopped
1 fennel bulb, cored and
finely chopped, fronds
roughly chopped and
reserved
3 celery stalks, ½”-thick slices
6 garlic cloves, roughly
chopped
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. red-pepper
flakes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock or
broth
Leaves from 1 small bunch
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon
Directions
Step 1
Put soaked, drained beans in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, and season them generously with salt and pepper. Add reserved Parmesan rinds and wheat berries.
Step 2
In a large skillet, warm extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add fennel and continue to cook, stirring often, until fennel is softened and the onion is lightly browned, about 5 more minutes. Add celery and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 1 minute. Add fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rosemary and white wine and let the wine bubble until the pan is almost dry, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Scrape the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker. Add stock, and season it: with ½ teaspoon salt, if you are using lowsodium broth, or 1 teaspoon salt, if using homemade unsalted stock. (Do not add salt now if you are using fully salted broth.) Stir to combine, and cook on low until the wheat berries are tender and beans are creamy, about 8 to 10 hours*.The soup can hold well on warm for 1 to 2 additional hours.
Step 4
Before serving, remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and Parmesan rinds. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and reserved fennel fronds. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls topped generously with grated Parmesan.
*Beans should reach a simmer and cook until tender to be safe to eat. If your slow cooker does not reach a simmer on the low setting, increase the heat level to high, and ensure the beans cook at a simmer for at least 15 minutes at some point in the cooking process. Taste the beans to make sure they are creamy; they can vary in their cooking time depending on their age.
