The Lombard soup, contrary to what the name suggests, is a typical Tuscan dish that was consumed by the Lombards who settled in Maremma at the beginning of the 1900s.
This very simple recipe is made with boiled cannellini beans, we used an electric pressure cooker to speed up the process or you can use a classic pressure cooker, with a cooking time of just under 15 minutes compared to 40 minutes of traditional cooking.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for the Lombard Soup:
- 1 1/4 cups dried cannellini beans
- 5 1/2 cups water
- 1 onion
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 6 leaves sage
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
- slices Tuscan bread
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools for the Lombard Soup:
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Bowl
Steps for Preparing and Cooking the Lombard Soup:
The night before preparing the soup, soak the cannellini beans in cold water and leave them overnight, cover them with a lid.
The next day, drain the water and rinse them well under running water.
CLASSIC COOKING METHOD for the beans:
In a saucepan, place the cannellini beans, add the halved onion, garlic clove, sage leaves, and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add enough water to cover the beans well, cover them with a lid and cook for about 40 minutes.
PRESSURE COOKER OR MULTICOOKER METHOD for the beans:
Place the beans in the pressure cooker or multicooker, 1.3 liters of water, the halved onion, garlic clove, sage leaves, and extra virgin olive oil.
Make sure the water covers the beans by 3 fingers.
Close the lid, ensure the valve is closed and cook for 13 minutes from the whistle of the pot; if using a classic one, lower the gas once it reaches pressure.
When the time is up, turn off the gas or electric pot, vent, and check the cooking, if necessary, continue for a few more minutes by repressurizing the pot.
Salt the beans once cooked.
Toast 4 slices of Tuscan bread.
Take a plate or clay bowl, place a slice of toasted bread on the bottom, add the beans with some cooking liquid (the bread should only soften), season with extra virgin olive oil, adjust salt, and sprinkle with pepper.
Repeat the same process with the other 3 plates.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Why are legumes salted after they are cooked?
to prevent the hardening of the skin (which would prevent perfect cooking).
