How to Make Acquacotta (Tuscan White Bean and Escarole Soup) - Step-by-Step Recipe
If you were to stop by my house, there's a really good chance that there would be a big pot of bean soup cooking at any given moment. It's one of my favorite soups to cook, and I love all variations. But today, I'm going to make for you one of my very favorites – aqua cotta. This Tuscan soup is called "cooked water," but there's a lot more flavor involved than just water.
We'll start off by making a sofrito with a combination of onion, celery, and garlic. Using a food processor will make this step quick and easy. Chop the onion and celery roughly and pulse in the food processor until finely chopped.
Next, add the garlic cloves to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped as well. Transfer the mixture to a Dutch oven and add extra virgin olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook this mixture over medium-high heat for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see some beautiful fond on the bottom of the pot.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes by pulsing a can of whole tomatoes packed in juice in the food processor until finely chopped. Once the sofrito is cooked, stir in the tomatoes and cook over high heat until the mixture thickens, about 9-12 minutes.
Prep the fennel bulb by removing the stalks and cutting it into half-inch pieces. Add the fennel to the pot and let it cook until tender. Then, add a cheese rind for flavor.
Next, drain two cans of cannellini beans and add them to the pot along with chopped escarole. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the vegetables to cook thoroughly.
While the soup simmers, prepare the remaining ingredients. Mince some fresh parsley leaves and oregano. Separate two eggs and whisk the yolks with the bean liquid.
Add the bean liquid mixture to the soup, followed by the fennel fronds, parsley, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, toast slices of country bread and ladle the soup over it. Grate pecorino romano cheese on top and squeeze some lemon juice for brightness.
Enjoy this rich and flavorful aqua cotta soup, perfect for a comforting meal. Follow our step-by-step recipe to make authentic Tuscan soup in your own kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 celery ribs
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes packed in juice
- 1 fennel bulb
- 10 ounces escarole
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans
- 1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced oregano leaves
- 2 egg yolks
- Country bread slices
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Lemon juice
Cooking steps:
- Chop the onion and celery roughly and pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Add the garlic cloves to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped as well. Transfer the mixture to a Dutch oven.
- Add extra virgin olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fond forms on the bottom of the pot.
- Pulse a can of whole tomatoes packed in juice in the food processor until finely chopped. Stir the tomatoes into the pot and cook over high heat until the mixture thickens, about 9-12 minutes.
- Cut the fennel bulb into half-inch pieces, discarding the stalks and the core. Add the fennel to the pot and cook until tender.
- Drain two cans of cannellini beans and add them to the pot along with chopped escarole. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Mince fresh parsley leaves and oregano. Separate two eggs and whisk the yolks with the bean liquid. Add the bean liquid mixture to the soup, followed by the fennel fronds, parsley, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast slices of country bread and ladle the soup over them. Grate pecorino romano cheese on top and squeeze some lemon juice before serving.
