White Bean Soup/Portobellos, Escarole,& Parsley Pesto

[Guest guest]

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

White Bean Soup/Portobellos, Escarole, & Parsley Pesto

 

Recipe By : The Pressured Cook ~ Lorna Sass

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Pressure Cooker Soups & Stews

Sda-Veg-Recipes2 (AT) Egroups (DOT) Com

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 cups white beans -- picked over and

rinsed, soaked overnight in ample water

to cover or speed-soaked*

1 1/4 pounds portobellos -- cremini, or large

button mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper -- seeded and diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks or coarsely chopped

onions

5 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup dry red wine or vermouth

2 1/2 teaspoons Italian herb blend (recipe below) or

store-bought

2 large bay leaves

1 1/2 pounds escarole -- trimmed and

coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to

taste

Parsley Pesto (recipe below)

Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino

Romano cheese (optional)

Italian herb blend

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon basil leaves

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons rosemary leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Parsley Pesto

1 small clove garlic -- peeled (optional)

2 cups tightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

and thin stems (from 1 very large bunch)

Generous 1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino -- plus more to pass

at

Romano cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt -- or to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon water (optional) -- (1 to 2)

 

 

Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.

 

Trim the mushrooms. If the portobellos have stems, chop them and set aside.

Slice the caps into 3/4-inch pieces. If using cremini or button mushrooms, cut

the mushrooms in half or quarters to approximately equal 3/4-inch chunks.

 

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in the cooker over medium-high heat. Add the

mushrooms (excluding stems), red bell pepper, and garlic and stir to coat the

vegetables with oil. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and cook over medium heat at a

gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 3 to 4

minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables and any remaining broth to a bowl and

set aside.

 

Wipe the cooker dry with a paper towel and heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of

oil over medium-high heat. Cook the leeks and 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste,

stirring frequently, until the leeks are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add

the red wine and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits sticking to

the bottom of the cooker. Cook until most of the wine evaporates, about 1

minute. Add the remaining broth, beans, chopped Portobello stems (if you have

any), herbs, and bay leaves. Pile the escarole on top. (Don't be concerned if

the cooker is full beyond the maximum recommended capacity; the greens will

shrink dramatically as the soup comes up to pressure)

 

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. (This may take

about 5 minutes) Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook

for 12 minutes. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold

running water. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to

escape.

 

Blend in the remaining 3 tablespoons of tomato paste by mashing it against the

side of the cooker with a fork and stirring. Remove the bay leaves, and add salt

and pepper. Stir in the reserved mushrooms and red pepper and continue cooking

just until thoroughly heated. Serve each portion of soup with a heaping

tablespoon of parsley pesto set in the center. Pass any extra pesto and some

grated cheese, if you wish, on the side.

 

Serves 6

 

Parsley Pesto:

If using the garlic, pop it through the feed tube of a food processor with the

motor running. Scrape down the work bowl, add the parsley and walnuts, and

process until finely chopped. Scrape down the bowl, and add the cheese and salt.

With the motor running, pour the olive oil into the feed tube and process to

create a thick (but not stiff) paste, adding water if needed. Adjust for salt

and set aside until needed. Refrigerate any leftovers in a tightly sealed

container for up to 3 days.

 

Makes about 1 cup

 

Speed-Soaking Beans:

The pressure cooker offers the option of speed-soaking, a technique that takes

about 20 minutes and is roughly equivalent to soaking overnight. This method is

not completely reliable: If the beans are very fresh, they sometimes begin to

cook. (This is more a consideration with small beans than with large ones.)

However, the method is handy for a last-minute presoak:

 

Place the water and beans in the cooker, in a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part

beans. (If using an old-fashioned jiggle-top cooker and preparing a large

quantity of beans, add 2 teaspoons of oil per cup of dried beans to control the

foam that develops during speed soaking.)

 

Lock the lid in place. Over high eat, bring to high pressure.

 

For small beans, such as navies: As soon as high pressure is reached, turn off

the heat.

 

For medium beans, such as Great Northerns: cook for 1 minute over high pressure.

 

For Large beans, such as chickpeas: Cook for 3 minutes under high pressure.

 

Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid,

tilting it away from you to allow excess steam to escape.

 

Drain and rinse beans and proceed as directed in the recipe.

 

 

 

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

NOTES :

This hearty Italian soup gets an elegant touch with the addition of chopped

portobello mushrooms that are quickly cooked and then set aside until the beans

are done. You can use one type of white bean-such as cannellini, Great Northern,

or navy-or a mixture.

 

Just before serving, give the soup a lively punch of color and flavor with a

generous dollop of parsley pesto.