‘Soup is a lot like family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavour’.
I love this soup. It is so tasty, packed full of flavour and dense with nutrition. I found it in Milk Street, Tuesday nights, Christopher Kimball and liked the way anchovies were used to build the umami flavour but not leave the residue of fishiness. He does this is several recipes and it is a great way to add oily fish into your diet. I used chicken broth for the base and anchovies, but you could convert this to a vegetarian dish by using veggie broth, and miso for the anchovies.
Mr. B ate this and loved it, which shows you can’t taste the anchovies just the flavour punch.
I did not use canned beans, if you do, I’d recommend using Eden, which are canned beans pre-soaked in kombu to make them more digestible. I made my beans from scratch, pre-soaking and using kombu in the preparation to make them easier to digest.
Why do I want to add anchovies to a mainly plant based diet? Anchovies are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart (EPA and DHA) and brain health. They are a great source of calcium and protein. They are a sustainable food and are low in mercury versus some other fish.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup EVOO
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, patted dry and minced (optional)
- 2 quarts chicken/vegetable broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup pecorino
- 2 cups small white beans
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- In a large Dutch oven over a medium low heat, heat the oil till shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent, c. 5 minutes. stir in the anchovies and garlic and stir until fragrant being careful not to burn it, c. 30 seconds
- Add the broth, rosemary, pecorino and beans, let simmer for 5-7 minutes, covered
- Stir in the kale and cook uncovered till it has softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Taste and add salt, pepper and more cheese if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
