White bean & rosemary soup, finished with Moraiolo
Tuscans and Umbrians have been doing this for centuries: take humble beans, cook them with care, and let a vivid green oil do the heavy lifting at the table. The Moraiolo's grassy bite cuts straight through the cream of the beans. Without the oil, this is fine. With it, it's memorable.
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained (or 350g cooked from dried)
- 3 tbsp Umbrian Moraiolo EVOO, plus more to finish generously
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 750ml light chicken or vegetable stock
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Toasted sourdough, to serve
Method
- 01
Warm 3 tbsp Moraiolo in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Sweat the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, 8 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary, stir for a minute.
- 02
Add the beans and stock. Simmer gently for 20 minutes — the beans should start to break down.
- 03
Fish out the rosemary stem. Blend about two-thirds of the soup until smooth, leave the rest whole for texture. Taste for salt.
- 04
Ladle into warm bowls. Crack pepper. Now finish with a real spiral of Moraiolo — at least a tablespoon per bowl. Do not be polite about it.
- 05
Serve with toasted sourdough rubbed with a cut garlic clove.