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Recipe Detail Page
Mediterranean Vegetable Bean Soup
Autumn 2011
Roasted fall vegetables and fresh herbs are dressed up with Mediterranean flair in this rich-tasting soup. It gets body from the beans without heaviness. The flavours do bloom after sitting, so make the soup a day or two ahead and reheat it just before serving. It does thicken so you may need to add more water or some vegetable stock to thin it out.
12 plum tomatoes (3 lbs/1.5 kg), chopped
2 sweet red peppers, chopped
1 small eggplant, about 1 lb (500 g), peeled and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp (2 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups (1 L) water
1 can (540 mL) white pea (navy) or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese
1 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2 Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3 Combine tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant and onion. Sprinkle with 1 tsp (5 mL) each salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss to evenly coat. Divide among baking sheets and spread out into a single layer. Toss garlic with oil left in bowl and arrange together on one of the baking sheets. Roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, rotating sheets halfway, for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and browned.
4 Set roasted garlic aside. Transfer remaining roasted vegetables and all juices to a large pot. Stir in oregano, thyme, rosemary and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until flavours are blended.
5 Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3 cups (750 mL) of the vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add reserved garlic and half of the beans to blender. Purée, adding a little of the broth from the pot if necessary, until smooth. Stir back into pot along with remaining beans and return to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with feta cheese.
Serves 8 to 10
