This is a hearty and flavorful White Bean Potato Leek Soup. Who doesn’t like peas with potatoes? They are a perfect match! The spring onion pesto adds a whole other dimension of flavor to this soup.
It may be summer, but it is June gloom here in Northern California and this soup is perfect for this weather. Robby prefers this soup chunky and I can’t decide which way I like it, chunky or pureed. So, I split the batch and purred half. It’s kind of like having two different soups. Robby also prefers his without the pesto and I love it with it. As you can see this is a very versatile soup. How would you serve it?
This soup is great with a Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or Rose.
White Bean Potato Leek Soup Recipe:
6 – 12 servings = 12 cups
Soup
- 2 Cups White Beans
- 12 Cups + 10 reserved Cups Filtered Water – or as needed
- 2 Pounds Yellow Potatoes – diced
- 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion – diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic – minced
- 2 Large Leeks – cleaned, quartered and sliced (about 4 cups sliced)
- 1/4 Dry White Wine
- 2 Vegetable Bouillon Cubes – unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt – or to taste
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Peas – about 1 tablespoons per one cup – or to taste
- 1 1/2 Cups Spring Onion Greens or Green Onions
- 1/4 Cup Asiago Cheese – finely grated
- 1/4 Cup Raw Walnuts
- 1/4 Cup Raw Almonds
- 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt – or to taste
Instructions:
1. Sort through the beans to remove any rocks and rinse. Add the beans to a large pot and add 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil and turn to medium-high heat for 1 hour.
2. While beans are cooking, dice the potatoes into ½ inch cubes; add to a bowl covered with water. Set aside.
3. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion to a large Dutch oven or a large 5-quart pot. Turn heat to medium-low and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes more or until onions are soft and garlic just starts to become lightly golden.
4. Once the garlic becomes golden, add bouillon cubes and wine to the onions. Mash the bouillon to dissolve then add the leeks and stir often until the leeks just soften (about 5 minutes). Add a tablespoon of water and the remaining two tablespoons of oil to deglaze. Turn the heat off the leeks.
5. Make the pesto. Cut off the green tops of the spring onions, wash, dry and chop the green leaves into one inch pieces then add to a food processor or blender. Add all the remaining ingredients and puree. If you want it really smooth I often use an immersion blender after I use the food processor.
6. After the beans start to soften (but not totally cooked) pour the beans and the bean water into the leek mix. Add the potatoes, thyme and 8 more cups of water. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and cook until beans and potatoes are completely cooked. (about an hour – depends the age of the beans)
7. Meanwhile, remove peas from their pods (if using fresh peas), measure and put into a pot of filtered water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and leave in the water for 1 minute. (use a timer) Drain in a colander and rinse with filtered water. Set aside.
8. When the beans are done, add the vinegar, salt and pepper to the soup.
*You can either leave the soup chunky or puree with an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of water after pureeing.
Top with pesto and peas.
Health benefits:
Leeks allicin content reduces cholesterol production, blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness and protects the lining. Leeks help chronic low-level inflammations like in diabetes, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. They contain polyphenols that are known to be strong antioxidants that fight against free radicals, which help with chronic disease and aging. They are a good sources of vitamin-A, C and K.
Yellow Potatoes – Yukon gold’s content of potassium is higher than many foods and can help reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. They have twice the amount of vitamin C as a Russet, which helps protects your cells from free-radical damage. Yukon’s are rich in B6 and antioxidant properties. It has a bit of Iron but the C helps the body absorb it. They contain fiber that helps reduces cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, helps prevent constipation and aids in weight loss.
White Beans are a super source of dietary fiber, which is good for the prevention of constipation, also helps digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. They are great for heart health because of their significant amounts of folate (support of red blood cell formation, one cup of the cooked beans provides 63.7% of the recommended daily intake for folate) and magnesium (lowers blood pressure). They are good for helping insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, and help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady energy.
*Health Sources
