White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (2024)

Your whole food, plant-based life.

Susan|January 19, 2016

White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (2)

I have been focusing a lot more on creating recipes that give a big nutritional pay-off. I am always looking for ways to get more beans and cruciferous veggies in our diet. Beans and cruciferousvegetablesare some of the healthiest foodswe can put in our bodies and we should be eating them every day. Beans literally can increase our lifespan and cruciferous veggies are amazing cancer fighters.

White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (3)

Since I had a bunch of broccoli, the cruciferous star in this recipe, I decided to make a Creamy White Bean and Broccoli soup. And just for kicks, I thought you might like to walk through the process that I use when I create recipes. So, here is the anatomy of my Creamy White Bean and Broccoli Soup recipe.

This recipe did require a little pre-planning because 99% of the time, I cook my beans from dried beans. Why am I committed to this?

  1. They taste so much better.
  2. I can control the texture, how soft or al dente (firm) I want the beans.
  3. I can control the sodium. Many canned beans can have 100x the sodium.
  4. Dried beans are a lot cheaper than canned beans. Canned beans are around 3x as expensive.
  5. I can cook them ahead of time and freeze until needed.
  6. That said, using canned beans is not the end of the world.(Dr. Greger has a wonderful video on canned vs cooked beans here: Canned Beans vs Cooked Beans) and the healthiest way to use them.

I knew that I wanted to make this recipe for Monday’s dinner so I did cook my beans in advance. So, on white bean broccoli soup day, I had the beans ready to go in advance.

Over the years, I have learnedit’s all about building flavor.In my dutch oven,I dry-sautéed a medium-sized, chopped onion over medium-low heat. I wanted the onion translucent and soft so I kept the heat low. I added 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the pot when the onions were ready. I ALWAYS add my garlic at the end and give it a quick sauté. You don’t want to add it at the beginning because it will burn and get very bitter.

White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (4)

So, now I have the onion and garlic ready. I added the water, cooked beans and half the broccoli florets. I let that simmer until the beans and broccoli were soft. I lightly steamed the other half of the broccoli florets while the other mixture was simmering. Those were set aside to add at the end.

I pureed the mixture in the blender (in two batches) and poured it back into the dutch oven, stovetop. Thenit was tasting time.

Because I really wanted a creamy texture, I decided to add some cashew cream. This recipe only has 1/2 cup cashews in the whole batch. So that is about 3 cashews a serving. Just a little bit adds such a lovely mouth-feel.

Next I started the seasoning process. I threw in some nutritional yeast, a bit of salt and lemon juice to brighten the flavor a bit. But it still wasn’t where I wanted it to be. So, I added some coconut aminos (you could also use tamari or soy but start with one tablespoon and taste as you go) to build some depth. They are quite amazing and can take a recipe from good to…”oh my gosh! What’s in there?” status, quickly.The coconut aminos add umami, a lovely savoriness.

The last step was to coarsely chop the remaining steamed broccoli florets and stir them into the soup. I also added a bit of chipotle powder but that is completely up to you. I like the smoke and the tiny amount of heat it brings. I decided to top this with some toasted walnuts which is optional but I love. And walnuts seem to love to dance with broccoli, so there you have it!

I start with abasic ideas (white beans and broccoli soup), use some basic cooking techniques and then add and taste until I feel it is beautifully balanced and has wonderful flavor.

White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (5)

PS I will be posting the recipe for the bread later this week.

We are not sure if you have noticed, but over on the right hand side of this post, we have included some of the kitchen tools and ingredients used to make this dish. You can just click on the picture and it will take you to our store where you can learn more and order.

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Creamy White Bean and Broccoli Soup

SERVES 8

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups water
  • 4 cups cooked white beans (navy beans)
  • 8 cup broccoli florets, divided
  • 1/2 cup cashews, soaked until soft
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 lemon, juice from
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt (more to taste)
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
  1. In a dutch oven or large pot, sauté the onion over medium-low heat until translucent .
  2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  3. Add water, white beans, and half the broccoli. Simmer until the broccoli is soft.
  4. While the bean/broccoli mixture is simmering, lightly steam the rest of the broccoli, coarsely chop and set aside.
  5. Puree the bean broccoli mixture in a high-speed blender until smooth. I did this in two batches.
  6. Blend cashews and water until smooth.
  7. Return the blended mixture to the pot and whiskin lemon juice, nutritional yeast, coconut amions, and cashewcream.
  8. Stir in chopped broccoli florets. Taste to see if you want to add more salt or pepper.
  9. Top with toasted walnuts and serve.

*To toast the walnuts, place walnuts on baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. You can also toast them stove top over heat in a pan. Just be careful to constantly stir the nuts and not burn them.

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White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (10)

White Bean and Broccoli Soup (the anatomy of a recipe) - Rawmazing Raw and Cooked Vegan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken soup with pureed beans? ›

To make the “bean slurry,” I blended together about 1/4 cup of drained cannellini beans with 1/4 cup of the bubbling broth. Once smooth, I added the pureed bean mixture back to the soup and with a quick stir, it disappeared into the minestrone, which no longer rested in tomato-tinged water, but a buttery broth.

Can I use cannellini beans to thicken soup? ›

It's remarkable just how easy it is to use cannellini beans to thicken a soup. Simply pour some of the beans into a bowl and mash them up — it's that easy. You don't even need to drain the beans. The mashed beans with their liquid form a thick paste that works as a great milk substitute.

What is the thickener used in pureed soups? ›

Most pureed soups are thickened by the vegetable being pureed. The starches in the pureed vegetable aids in the thickening of the soup. Cream soups tend to have a roux.

What is the main thickening agent for a puree soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

What is the thickener in a white bean soup? ›

In this recipe, what really thickens up the soup is the 15 oz of white beans that you are mashing and the starches from the potatoes. We aren't using cornstarch or a thickening agent in this recipe, it really doesn't need it!

How do you thicken white beans? ›

If your beans are still too watery after prolonged cooking and mashing, consider adding a thickener like cornstarch, all-purpose flour, or arrowroot. To do this, first, make a slurry of equal parts thickener and water, then slowly add it to your refried beans. They should thicken considerably.

Are cannellini beans the same as white beans? ›

White beans are a group of legumes with white casings and starchy insides which include navy beans, cannellini beans, “great northern” beans, and lima beans. Navy beans, great northern beans, and cannellini beans are grown from the Phaseolus vulgaris plant, while lima beans are grown on the Phaseolus lunatus plant.

How do you thicken blended beans? ›

In a separate bowl, dissolve a teaspoon or two of cornstarch or all-purpose flour in a small amount of cold water. Add the slurry to the bubbling soup. The soup should thicken up. Add more cornstarch or flour as needed until the soup reaches your desired consistency.

How do you use beans as a thickener? ›

Beans are a healthy way to thicken soups. Adding refried beans to a soup can yield a thicker and richer tasting soup, making it a perfect way to thicken a chili.

How do you thicken sauce with beans? ›

Take a can of beans with a cup of hot stock from the soup and blend together until smooth, then add back to pot. Or cook beans with soup and puree the entire soup, beans included. Beans add great fiber and protein, as well!

How do you thicken white bean puree? ›

Potato flakes (yes, instant mashed potatoes!) help to thicken the purée and gives the dish a velvety finish that elevates the everyday side dish into something that is special enough for company, as well as a chic alternative to mashed potatoes.

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