Giant White Bean Soup
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This is a classic treatment on cooking a pot of beans, Italian-style. A few simple aromatics perfume the broth and legumes, making them extra flavorful for a variety of uses.
For a bouquet garni, knot 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme, 2 sage leaves, 4 sprigs parsley and 1 dried red chile in cheesecloth.
From the story: The bean and me
Place the beans in a bowl and cover by 3 inches with cold water. Soak 12 to 14 hours. Drain. Place the beans in a heavy-bottomed pot and cover by 2 inches with water. Add the bouquet garni and garlic, and bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Toward the end of cooking, finely chop the onion, carrot and leek. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions turn golden, 5 minutes.
Remove the bouquet garni, add the onion, carrot and leek. Simmer until the beans are very tender, 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain off 3/4 (about 2 cups) of the liquid and reduce in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a medium-thick consistency, 5 minutes. Return the liquid to the beans, toss and add the parsley sauce. Toss and serve immediately.
Parsley Sauce
Combine the parsley, butter and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 15 seconds.
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