A creamy vegetarian bean and potato soup full of delicious Italian flavors. This soup is packed with nutritious veggies, it's flexible and flavorful, and easy to make in one pot with canned beans!
2tspfennel seeds, lightly crushed with a pestle and mortar
1tbspsmoked paprika
1tbspdried sage
1tbspmixed Italian herbs
1tsplemon zest
1cup(70g)kale
2cansbeans, 14oz / 400g size - rinsed and drained
½lb(225g)baby potatoes, quartered
4cups(1l)vegetable stock or broth
½cup(120ml)cream
1cup(115g)parmesan style cheese, see notes
1lemon, for juicing
1handfulfresh basil, chopped - use as much as you can / like
Instructions
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the carrots, onions and pepper and saute for a few minutes until they are starting to soften.
1 medium red onion, 1 small carrot, 1 medium sweet or bell pepper
Add the mushrooms and saute until they are starting to release their liquid. If the pan feels too dry or sticky, you can add a splash of white wine or vegetable stock to loosen things up.
1 medium portobello mushroom
Add the garlic, lemon zest and all of the dried herbs and spices. Mix through the pan until just fragrant.
Add the potato, beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender throughout. Taste test and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Add the kale. Stir through and cook for a minute or two until it's bright green and wilting.
1 cup kale
Add the basil, cream, cheese and juice of 1/2 of the lemon. Stir through until the cheese has melted through and a creamy soup has emerged!
1/2 cup cream, 1 cup parmesan style cheese, 1 handful fresh basil, 1 lemon
Serve with an additional squeeze of lemon on top if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information is based on 4 servings.Cheese: Any Italian hard cheese will work here, such as parmesan, pecorino or asiago. But watch out for animal rennet which is traditionally used in actual DOP parmesan. I use a vegetarian Italian hard cheese that doesn't contain animal rennet.