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Ingredients (for 3 liters):
500g white beans (can be fresh or dried (then watered overnight) or - if need be - also canned)
2 bay leafs
1 tomatoe, slightly squashed
1 potatoe, pealed
olive oil
3 big onions, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bunch of fresh basil (leaves coarsley chopped, stalks finely chopped)
You can add in every vegetables that you like but best is you take fresh vegetables in season e.g.:
10 carrots, coarsley diced
3 leeks, chopped
1 savoy cabbage, stems cut out and chopped
6 small courgettes, diced
1 glass of red wine
1200 g canned tomatoes
3 l vegetable stock fond
pepper & salt
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
How to prepare the beans: Dried beans need to be watered overnight. Put the beans with cold water on to boil, throw in the potatoe, the bay leafs and the crushed tomatoe (they work as "tenderizers" and give the flavour).
Simmer until the beans are tender (takes 25 min. for fresh beans up to one hour for dried ones). Strain while collecting the cooking water; fish out the tomatoe, potatoe and bay leafs and discard.
How to cook the "sofritto": In a big pot heat up a hearty shot of olive oil; add onions, garlic, basil stems, carrots and simmer with low temperature and half-opened lid for 15 minutes; then add the canned tomatoes, courgettes, savoy cabbage and red wine and let everything simmer for another 10 minutes. In the third round add the leeks, beans, one glass of the bean's cooking water and the vegetable stock. Let simmer until everything is done. Add more water if needed. Season with salt & pepper and basil leafs. At table everybody can grate some parmesan cheese over the soup. Enjoy your meal!
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