Despite early fall temperatures in northern Colorado consistently reaching 80 degrees over the last week, it is, indeed, officially autumn. The local cottonwood, honey locust, ash and maple seem to agree, as evidenced by their flame yellow leaves. This also means that evenings cool off nicely – making a simple yet hearty soup a welcome treat.
I came upon this soup last year and I must have made it five times in three months. Melissa Clark with the New York Times, calls this recipe “Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens.” But I love, love, love cannellini beans, so I changed the title to my liking.
Like many a culinary staple, cannellini beans were not native to Europe. Their introduction came after the Columbian Exchange in the 16th century, when many types of beans were brought from the Americas to Europe.
In Italy, cannellini beans became a go-to ingredient in foods prepared throughout the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. Valued for their protein content and versatility, cannellini beans became essential in dishes like fagioli all’uccelletto, a classic Tuscan stew that features garlic, sage and tomato sauce alongside cannellini. Over time, the beans became integrated into Italy’s agricultural traditions and local diets. Today, they are a key ingredient in soups, salads, and side dishes across Italy.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can easily modify this recipe by substituting white miso broth for chicken stock and simply cut the ground turkey, or use a plant-based ‘ground meat.’
Enjoy!
Recipe and photo credit: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021776-lemony-white-bean-soup-with-turkey-and-greens
Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- ½ pound ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onion and carrot, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon cumin and ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch. Or leave the beans whole for a brothier soup.
- Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for most greens, but tough collard greens might take 15 minutes. (Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)
- Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.