Soup Pistou with Five-Mushroom Broth, Rancho Gordo Beans and Creamy Garlic

From: Food and Wine Consultant Kimball C. Jones

Yield: 4 servings.

Soup:
1 cup Rancho Gordo Cannellini Beans
1 lb. assorted mushrooms (crimini, portabella, king trumpet, oyster, enoki)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup carrots, diced ¼” thick
1 cup onion, diced ¼” thick
1 cup leeks, cleaned and whites thinly sliced
½ cup celery root, diced ¼” thick
28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 qt. chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
to taste, salt and pepper

Pistou:
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 cup basil leaves
½ cup olive oil
to taste, salt and pepper

For Soup: Lay beans out on a baking sheet and sort through, removing any stones and discolored beans. Soak beans overnight (or at least 8 hours) in 4 times their volume of cold water. Discard any that float to top. Trim all mushrooms of any dirt. Slice all, except enoki, into bite-sized pieces.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart stock pot. Add mushrooms, except enoki, and carrot and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often until lightly browned. Add leeks and celery root and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain soaked beans; add to pot along with tomatoes, chicken stock and all of the garlic except for 1 tablespoon. Place bay leaf and peppercorns in a cheesecloth sack and add to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue to cook at low simmer until beans are tender, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For Pistou: Combine reserved tablespoon of garlic and basil leaves in a mortar. Grind to a paste and add ¼ cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and ½ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

For each serving, to order: Divide soup among 4 bowls. Sprinkle Parmigiano Reggiano and enoki mushrooms onto each bowl and drizzle with Pistou.