Roasted Leek And White Bean Soup

Roasted Leek And White Bean Soup

Friend of The Bean and Rancho Gordo pal, Arnab Chaladar, helps us out with Indian-inspired bean dishes, but here he goes for something simple and classic, perfect for soup season. 

Ingredients
2 cups cooked flageolet beans (beans cooked simply with a lot of water  A couple of small parmesan rinds and drained; bean broth reserved)
6 cups bean broth (from cooking the beans) or vegetable stock
The white (and light green) portions from four plump leeks cut into chunks. 4-5 chunks per leek. Reserve the greens proper for another use.
8-10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
While the beans are cooking, place the leek portions in a small oven-proof dish with the garlic nestled inside/between them. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add salt and pepper and roast uncovered in a 400º oven till softened and lightly caramelized.

Puree the roasted leeks and garlic and keep aside.

Add the drained flageolets and 6 cups of the bean broth or vegetable stock to your soup pot and raise to a high simmer.

Mix in the leek-garlic puree and the fish sauce and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper, drizzle olive oil over and serve with crusty bread.

Notes                                                                                                     For a variation, keep one roasted leek aside, chop it fine and use to garnish the soup.

For another creamier variation, puree 1/2 cup of the beans with the roasted leeks and garlic.

For a vegan version use veg stock instead of parmesan rinds and tamari instead of fish sauce