| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 25 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 55 min |
| Yield: | 4-6 servings |
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 2-ounce piece pancetta (optional)
- 5 canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- Kosher salt
- 3 pounds fresh cranberry beans in pods, shelled (or 1 cup dried cranberry beans, soaked overnight)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 piece parmesan cheese rind, plus 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and more for topping
- 2 cups small pasta, such as shells or ditalini
- 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, rosemary and pancetta, if using, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes; season with salt. Add the beans, 3 quarts water, the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Uncover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 more minutes. (The soup should be thick and creamy; thin with water, if necessary.)
- Remove the bay leaves, parmesan rind and pancetta, if used. Add the grated parmesan, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with more olive oil and parmesan.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 574 calorie |
| Total Fat | 26.5 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 6 grams |
| Cholesterol | 15 milligrams |
| Sodium | 728 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 63 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 15 grams |
| Protein | 25 grams |
| Sugar | 4 grams |
Reviews
This soup was anything but tasteless!! I used homemade chicken stock to boil the pasta, then added that to the soup, probably about 4 cups. I used spinach instead of kale. Nice for a cool autumn day!!
Nice post. Thanks for sharing
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left out the pancetta because I was using what I had in the house and didn’t have any. This makes a wonderful soup that just gets better after a few days. Serving with mini soup shells- cooked separately
Yes, Heartwarming on a cold winter’s day.
Fantastic!
This soup is a favorite of ours! Sometimes I need to let it cook a bit longer depending on the bean’s tenderness, and how thick I want it. I use the 3 Quarts (not cups) of water and it turns out thick & creamy; and I’ll even add more liquid if we’re eating it a little later or as leftovers. Rosemary, Cheese Rind(s), and Pancetta are key! I look forward to trying the other reviewer’s suggestion of dicing & not removing the Pancetta. And I’m going to try freezing some without the pasta (for serving: defrost, bring to boil, add pasta, reduce heat & simmer until pasta is cooked & soup has thickened up).
I’ve been using this recipe for a few years and wanted to comment. I prefer fresh beans from the farmstand but have also soaked dried beans overnight just fine. I think it is creamier with freshly shelled though. Also I use nitrate free bacon or pancetta, finely chopped and leave it in! I use pecorino Romano instead of parm as the sheep cheese is easier on our stomachs and I prefer the flavor too. Yes use the rind of any cheese of a similar type. Whatever I have in the fridge. I use a little more beans and kale to make a thicker soup. I use gf small pasta and FYI pasta with more rice base will become mushy faster than other pasta options. I try to not overcook the pasta. I remove the rind at the end if I can find it, and YES THIS FREEZES WONDERFULLY! The pasta whether gf or regular will not be al dente after the freezer but flavor is still great and texture is fine. This is such an easy meal to defrost during the week. I’m going to try and do this in 10qt instant pot and see what happens! I will Sautee first and figure out times for the rest. I don’t understand the poor reviews, make sure to use good quality ingredients and fresh if possible. The cheese rind really kicks up the flavor oh and a few extra cloves of garlic wouldn’t hurt Mangia!
This was great. I couldn’t find a Parmesan rind so I added some Knorr chicken bullion (probably about a tablespoons worth) to add the missing umami (whatever umami actually is) and it came out SO.GOOD.
Delicious. Can’t understand reviews that said tasteless. I made it exactly as written using Rancho Gordo Cranberry beans which are definitely top notch. The Parmesan rind is essential!!
If I make the whole recipe, could I freeze it or do beans not take well to freezing? It sounds wonderful and I’d like to make the whole recipe but there’s just one of me. 🙂