A creamy white bean soup very simple and easy to prepare yet still very delicious and satisfying. If you like white beans this will be a keeper!! I realized that so far, all the soups I have posted are creams… Don’t know why but I clearly have a preference for this type of soups…
Beans, and legumes in general, are a great addition to a well-balanced diet. It is recommended (by the US Dietary Guidelines) to eat 3-4 cups of legumes per week. They are a low glycemic index food, rich in protein, fiber and iron. Because of their texture, mild flavor and nutritional profile, legumes are found in an array of plant-based meat alternatives. There are several studies that show the positive effects legumes have in preventing the development of various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Therefore, it is a good idea to start including more legumes to your diet if you haven’t done so. For sure it won’t harm!
Do you know the difference between a legume, a pulse and a bean? Well, maybe because English is not my first language, I did not know it until very recently. A legume refers to any plant from the Fabaceae family that would include its leaves, stems, and pods. A pulse is the edible seed from a legume plant, such as beans, lentils, and peas. And beans in their various forms (kidney, black, pinto, navy, chickpeas, etc.) are just one type of pulse. So, now we know!
For this creamy white bean soup you can either use Cannellini or Great Northern beans. Whenever I have time I like to cook the white beans from scratch, but it’s not always possible, in which case I go with canned beans that work as well. If I use canned beans, I try to use the low sodium ones (if I find them…) and I always rinse them before using them.
