Creamy White Bean Soup With Spicy Paprika Oil

Name: Creamy White Bean Soup With Spicy Paprika Oil
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (8 cups)
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 large shallots, minced (about 2/3 cup); 4 large celery stalks, peeled and thinly sliced; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence; 1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional); 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (optional); Kosher salt and black pepper; 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 3 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans (or chickpeas), rinsed; 2 cups half-and-half or almond milk; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked (hot or sweet) paprika; 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

By Alexa Weibel

Updated Feb. 25, 2020

Creamy White Bean Soup With Spicy Paprika Oil — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(1,799)
Comments: Read comments

As easy as it is fast, this simple blended white bean soup relies upon cheap staples like canned beans, stock, garlic, olive oil, shallots and dried herbs. An artful drizzle of paprika oil enlivens it. While the soup simmers, toast red-pepper flakes and smoked paprika in olive oil to make a vibrant red sauce inspired by Chinese chile oil. The soup is great before blending — it’s more like a stew — but purées to a creamy white. You could top the soup with sautéed quartered button mushrooms, roasted vegetables or toasted croutons, but the paprika oil provides deep flavor, and is the only garnish you truly need.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings (8 cups)

For the Soup

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
3large shallots, minced (about ⅔ cup)
4large celery stalks, peeled and thinly sliced
5garlic cloves, minced
3teaspoons dried Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
1½teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
¾teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
6cups chicken or vegetable stock
3(14-ounce) cans cannellini beans (or chickpeas), rinsed
2cups half-and-half or almond milk

For the Paprika Oil

⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil
1½teaspoons smoked (hot or sweet) paprika
½teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat ¼ cup oil over medium. Add the shallots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if using) and rosemary (if using); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if needed to avoid browning the vegetables.
Step 2
Add the stock and rinsed beans, and bring to a boil over high. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook over medium-high until flavors meld and stock thickens, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
While the soup cooks, prepare the paprika oil: Heat ⅓ cup oil in a small skillet over the lowest heat on your smallest burner. Add the paprika and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, just until toasted and flavors bloom, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain, discarding flakes, then set paprika oil aside.
Step 4
Working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, adding half-and-half or almond milk to thin to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Divide among bowls and drizzle with strained paprika oil to serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,799 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Mary5 years ago

Sarah - A 14 oz. can of beans holds 9 oz of beans and the rest is water. About 4 oz. of dried beans is approximately 9 oz when cooked. To get 3 cans worth you need (3 x 4oz.) or 12 oz. of dried beans. If you're lucky enough to have an instant pot, it takes 30 minutes to go from dried to cooked with the added benefit of having no cans to recycle.

Tam5 years ago

Pretty good! When I chopped three shallots, we had more than 2 cups, but used it all and was good. I would use less stock than recommended - just four cups would do. It was pretty liquidy with six cups, and definitely didn’t need almond milk to be thinner.

Sarah5 years ago

I'm wondering what quantity of dry beans should be soaked and cooked to obtain the amount needed here.

Amaya3 months ago

Delicious. Made it as written except water instead of half and half/milk (didn’t have any.). Made it a second time and added some bits of ham and steamed spinach, threw it in—both versions delicious.

Rick in KC4 months ago

Only 5-10% better than the Alessi brand dry mix. Thus not worth the effort. Might make paprika oil to go with mix.

Rick in KC4 months ago

This is only 10% better than Alessi Toscano white bean soup mix -- not worth the difference in time and effort. The paprika oil, though would make a nice addition.

Private comments are only visible to you.