El Bulli Bean Soup: A Michelin Star Secret Revealed!
Savor this rich bean soup featuring aromatic garlic, brown onion, and fresh thyme for a Michelin-star taste at home.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 large brown onion, finely chopped (~180g/6oz)
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 bay leaf, fresh
- 1/3 cup tomato passata
- 4 x 400g/14oz cans cannellini beans, drained
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until the onions are a deep golden brown and sweet.
- Add tomato passata and cook over low heat for another 8 minutes until the tomato changes from red and watery to dark brown and very thick. Don't skimp on this step, it's key for flavour!
- Stir in the drained cannellini beans followed by the vegetable stock. Adjust heat so it's bubbling very gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off.
- Transfer 2/3 cup (150ml) of soup into a jug or jar large enough to fit the head of a blender stick. Blitz until smooth then stir it back into the soup to thicken the broth.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of Picada (recipe below). Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately.
- Dollop each bowl with 1 teaspoon of remaining Picada. Crusty bread highly recommended!
Notes
- Toasting the hazelnuts for the picada until golden and fragrant is crucial for maximum flavor.
- The tomato passata step, cooking it down until very thick, is essential for developing deep umami notes.
- For a smoother soup, ensure you blitz a good portion of it until completely smooth before returning to the pot.
- Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.
- The tomato passata step, cooking it down until very thick, is essential for developing deep umami notes.
- For a smoother soup, ensure you blitz a good portion of it until completely smooth before returning to the pot.
- Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.