white bean soup with sautéed shrimp and garlic croutons

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans, sorted through and rinsed
  • 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; plus 1 Tbs. for drizzling
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 inner rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
  • 4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice; more to taste
  • 21/2 cups 3/4-inch-diced country bread or baguette (about 6 oz.)
  • 3/4 lb. large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.), peeled, deveined, rinsed, sliced in half lengthwise, and patted dry
  • Pinch of cayenne

Directions

  1. Cook the cannellini beans following the Basic Beans method on the facing page.
  2. Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add 11/2 Tbs. of the oil, along with the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 7 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the beans and their cooking liquid (there should be about 4 cups liquid; if not, add more water to equal this amount) and half the rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a bare simmer, and cook for 30 minutes so that the beans soften a little more but don’t break up. Let cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of the beans and set aside. Working in batches, purée the remaining beans and all of the broth in a blender. Transfer the puréed soup and the reserved beans to a clean saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with water, if necessary, to get the consistency you like.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add 11/2 Tbs. oil and the bread cubes and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the bread starts to brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the remaining garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute, tossing well. Transfer to a large plate. Season the shrimp well with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil and the shrimp to the skillet and sauté, stirring often, until the shrimp is firm, opaque, and browned slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Ladle the soup into large, shallow bowls and dust with a pinch of cayenne. Garnish with a few of the croutons, a portion of the shrimp, a sprinkling of the remaining rosemary, and a drizzle of oil.

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