Fast Recipes

White bean soup with garlic crostini

Recipe for white bean soup with garlic crostini.

By Emma Knowles
  • Serves 4
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White bean soup with garlic crostini
If you have time, you could make this soup with dried white beans instead of the canned ones; they'll need to be soaked overnight and cooked for longer.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra clove, halved, for rubbing
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
  • 1.2 kg canned white beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (4 cups)
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste
  • 8 thick slices sourdough bread
  • To serve: coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano

Method

Main
  • 1
    Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes), add chilli, stir to combine. Add beans, stock and bay leaves, simmer for 15 minutes, then pulse with a hand-held blender until partially puréed. Add vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, preheat a char-grill pan over high heat. Drizzle both sides of bread slices with a little olive oil, season to taste and char-grill, turning once, until toasted (1-2 minutes each side). Rub crostini with remaining garlic and place one slice in each serving bowl. Ladle over hot soup, scatter with herbs and serve with remaining crostini.