White Bean, Potato and Baby Arugula Soup: Use it Up Satisfaction for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

A couple of russet potatoes getting close to the edge, some veggies in the fridge drawer not crisp enough to enjoy raw, leftover local baby arugula, rosemary from the lanai herb pots, and a plethora of canned white beans in the pantry led to this simple soup. There is something truly satisfying about making something so good out of what you have on hand before it goes to waste. Smells heavenly while bubbling away and tastes even better than it smells--perfect for a cool breezy Sunday. 

White Bean, Potato and Baby Arugula Soup
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 8)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped,
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (I used mock chicken base + homemade garlic broth)
4 cups cooked white beans
2 handfuls baby arugula, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice from 1/2 lemon, optional
shaved Parmesan to serve, optional

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and fresh rosemary and cook for another minute.  

Add potatoes and stock to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, then add cooked beans and cook for 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Add chopped arugula and cook for another 4-5 minutes. 

Using an immersion blender, puree soup partially to thicken, or place 2-3 cups of the soup in a blender and puree, adding the blended soup back to soup pot to thicken. Add salt and black pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with shaved Parmesan if desired.

Notes/Results: This soup makes me happy--warming the belly and the soul. Bean and veggie soups are easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand. I made this the way I like it--lots of potatoes and beans, a healthy dose of rosemary and thickened up slightly by pureeing part of it. Since I had an assortment of white beans in the pantry, I used one can each of cannellini, Great Northern and navy beans--liking the slight differences in size and texture in the soup. The lemon at the end adds a little brightness and the arugula gives it a little peppery bite, although any green would work. You can keep it vegan by omitting the Parmesan garnish but it add a nice touch. The leftovers are even better. I'd make it again. 

We have some great soups and salads waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look.

Janet of The Taste Space brings filling Caramelized Cabbage Soup and says,"All.things. caramelized: caramelized cabbage, caramelized onions and caramelized leeks. If I had roasted the carrots, it may have turned into a sweetness overload. Just kidding. While you dirty a bunch of dishes, everything cooks or roasts in parallel so it doesn’t take as long as you might fear. Combining the sweet vegetables with celeriac and white beans countered with a bit of bitterness, but the broth was spiked with dill that brought everything together. I liked how the soup was made with winter vegetable staples (carrot, cabbage, celeriac, leeks) but I find fresh dill has a spring feel." 

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes shares the soup that helped her sick self feel better. She says, "I didn’t feel like normal chicken noodle soup.  You know, with carrots and celery and all nice, but still a bit bland.  I wanted something to stand up and knock this cold right outta my head.  While doing my search of chicken noodle soup, through Eat Your Books, I saw it…. Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup at Food52!  ... This soup sounded like just what the doctor ordered and it was!  So good! I modified it a bit because I did it in the slow cooker, and prefer chicken meat on the bone for soups." 

It's a Sesame Broccoli Salad from Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food. She says, "This Sesame Broccoli is inspired by one of the banchan dishes served up in one of the Korean restaurants - Jang Su Jang in Santa Clara, California. I love all their side dishes (Japchae, Kimchi, Soy Bean Sprouts Salad, Mayo Apple Salad, Sesame Broccoli - just to name a few) and the eatery is also very generous in refilling those banchan dishes. Sesame Broccoli, such a simple dish, why do I still need to get inspired? But the point is, we often forget the simplest of dishes."

My friend and fellow Cook the Books co-host Rachel, The Crispy Cook has a different take on broccoli salad inspired by her friend Nancy's recipe. About her Broccoli Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Rachel says, "A few days later, I added a couple of tablespoons of the julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs to a batch of Broccoli Salad, and it added just the right notes of brightness and zing to an already delightful mix of salty, sweet and fresh flavors. My friend Nancy brought a batch of this great vegetable salad to a summer party last year and I pestered her for the recipe." (Check out her post for a chance to win a selection of Mooney Farms Sun-Dried Tomatoes.)

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week! If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!