After weeks spent wading through stews and dense purees, I start craving something brighter. Enter Butter Bean Soup with Arugula Pesto: my favorite cure for winter’s weight. This soup is light and brothy, reminiscent of chicken noodle soup, but a spoonful or two of arugula pesto adds a peppery kick and a touch of richness, keeping every sip interesting.
This soup is cozy enough for a snow day but light enough to energize you. Best of all? It comes together with just a few pantry staples.
Why Butter Beans?
If you haven’t used butter beans lately, you’re in for a treat. They’re a pantry staple often overlooked.
Butter beans, also known as lima beans, trace their roots to Peru, named for the city of Lima. Young beans are silky and tender, while dried ones have a firmer bite. Once cooked, they turn luxuriously creamy, soaking up broths and sauces like little sponges.
Tips for the Pesto
As the soup bubbles away, you can whip up the pesto in just minutes using a food processor or an immersion blender.
In my cozy kitchen, bulky appliances just get in the way, so I reach for my trusty immersion blender (sometimes my mini 3.5-cup food processor!). I toss arugula, garlic, nuts, cheese, and oil into a wide jar, then pulse until everything comes together. It’s quick, tidy, and lets you fine-tune the texture exactly how you like it.
- No blender? No problem. Just chop the arugula and garlic finely by hand, then stir in the oil and cheese. The result is a looser, more spoonable pesto that’s just as delicious.
- Don’t worry if your arugula looks a little tired. Wilted greens are still perfect for pesto, as long as they’re soft and not mushy. If they’ve gone slimy, it’s time to let them go.
Serving Suggestions
This soup stands on its own as a meal, but I love pairing it with a hunk of crusty Italian bread for dipping.
So grab your favorite soup pot and let’s stir up something extraordinary.
Brothy Butter Bean Soup Recipe
Butter Bean Soup with Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dried butter beans
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ red onion
- 1 small turnip cut into halves
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 cups water plus extra
- 1 tsp sea salt plus extra
- Black pepper
- 3 to 4 tbsp arugula pesto
For the Arugula Pesto
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ½ cup pine nuts or almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup grated pecorino
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the butter beans by soaking them overnight. Discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans.
- Add the pre-soaked butter beans, olive oil, red onion, turnip, minced garlic, vegetable stock, water, and sea salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to get a slow and steady bubbling. Cook, partially covered, for 90 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add more water to the pot if the water level gets too low.
- Remove the red onion and turnip from the soup when the beans are done. You can also cut up the turnip and return it to the pot. Adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
- To serve, scoop 1 tablespoon of arugula pesto into each bowl and pour the soup into the bowls.
To Make the Arugula Pesto
- Combine the ingredients except the lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse and gradually pour in the olive oil. Once the mixture is well blended, add the lemon juice and pulse again.
- Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Store the pesto in an airtight jar and refrigerate to keep it fresh.
Video
Notes
- You can substitute turnip with carrots. Cut the carrots into large chunks.
- The arugula pesto will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
This recipe was first published in Sandi Lee’s cookbook Keep Stirring.