Borlotti Bean Soup

There are many types of beans that are great for soup, but one of my favorites, and soon to be yours, is the borlotti bean. This tasty bean is a red and white speckled bean that comes in a shell. They’re popular in Italy and have about the same amount of calories as kidney beans. 

They are similar to kidney beans and cannellini beans, and they can be eaten in a variety of ways. I of course love them in soup, but they are also very tasty in salads and in place of other beans like chickpeas.

These beans are similar to a cannellini bean. They’re rich and creamy, and they are a little nutty in taste. Seriously, your mouth and your stomach will thank you after eating these!

You can have a borlotti bean plant in your garden, but do not eat them raw. If you want to include this food in your bean soup, make sure you properly treat it first.

To soften these beans, remove them from their shell. Once shelled, simmer them until soft. Then you can use them in your favorite recipes.

You can also soak dried beans. Cover them in a pot for at least three hours. This can be done overnight, too. 

If there’s anything better than an easy meal, it’s a one-pot meal. I love borlotti bean soup for many reasons, but only having to use one pan makes it one of my absolute favorite meals.

Dig out your favorite large saucepan and get to work! Before you know it, your kitchen will smell like Italy.

Borlotti bean soup is only as good as its ingredients. Here are some ingredient tips to make this food taste as delicious as possible:
Beans - For the best borlotti bean soup, use beans from a tin. You can use dried beans, but this makes the cooking process much longer, and you won’t notice a difference in taste.
Veggies - use fresh veggies! This will make your bean soup extra delicious. 
Kale - To prepare your kale, massage it in olive oil beforehand. This will help the texture and make it more palatable.
Seasonings - All the ingredients in borlotti bean soup taste great with a variety of seasonings. I like to use freshly ground black pepper, sage leaves, bay leaves, rosemary, and sometimes a pinch of parsley.

Do not add your veggies at the same time. They each have different cooking times, onions being the longest. If you add them at the same time, they won’t have the correct texture.

I suggest doing so. If you have fresh tomatoes, you need to use it the same way you would use dried beans. It adds to the cooking time and can be kind of a hassle. 

If you do forgo a tin, make sure you use tomato paste. The tomato paste will make the dish a little more creamy.

You can use other oils in your borlotti bean soup, just note that their use will alter the flavor a little bit.

Store your leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat it for up to a week after you make it.

To serve it again, warm in a pan over low heat.

As mentioned, you can use dried beans instead of ones from a tin. You can also swap a for a similar bean if you don’t have borlotti on hand. 

If you do swap beans, make sure you still use your seasonings like pepper, sage leaves, and rosemary.