peasant food: white bean soup

Peasant food maybe, but also incredibly tasty and satisfying. :-) I owe much to the Spanish woman I lived with years ago while attending university in Seville. She was a single mom with three kids and not a lot of money. In the late 1980s there was no such thing as convenience food in Spain. All the meals were prepared from scratch. Because Pastora was a busy woman, many of the dishes she prepared were quite simple but all were delicious.

It was Pastora who first introduced me to dried beans, now an important staple in our pantry. Not only are they incredibly nutritious, but dried beans are also superaffordable, too. I was craving a white bean soup, so last night before I went to bed, I measured out two cups of cannellini beans into a large glass bowl, covered with water, and went off to dreamland. In the morning, I drained and rinsed the beans and then boiled with water for just over an hour. Here's the complete ingredient list:

2 cups of dried white beans, soaked overnight, and cooked the next morning
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T olive oil
1 large potato, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
8 cups veggie broth
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 bay leaves
Spinach, kale, or your favorite leafy green

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for a couple minutes until lightly golden. Add the potato and carrots; saute a couple minutes more. Next add the beans, broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Simmer for 40 minutes. Add several handfuls of chopped fresh spinach, and then cook for a few more minutes, until the greens wilt. Serve with fresh ground pepper, possibly a little grated cheese, and a healthy chuck of ciabatta bread. And give thanks to my old friend Pastora. :-)