Tuscan White Bean Soup - Instant Pot Recipe

A great traditional Italian soup on a cold day, I make this in about 1 1/2 hours using my Instant Pot. The recipe will appear to be completed in shorter time, but remember that the Instant Pot is a pressure cooker and it must have time to build up pressure in the pot before the actual cook time begins.

Julian's Tuscan White Bean Soup

6-Quart Instant Pot

This recipe fills a six quart Instant Pot which is what I have, although an 8-quart or other sized pot will work too so long as it's larger than six quarts. I'm using a food processor to do all of the chopping, which makes the tasks quick and easy. You can chop by hand but it will take much more time. 

Simple Ingredients

This is a hearty vegetarian soup and you can substitute a number of ingredients as I noted in the recipe below. You must however use dry beans as noted in the recipe. Canned beans under pressure from the Instant Pot will break up. 

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

1 1/2 tablespoons table salt
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried cannellini, picked over and rinsed

    (substitute any small white beans)

1 large onion, chopped coarse
2 celery ribs, chopped coarse
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups chicken broth
1 small head escarole, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 8 ounces)

   (Substitute kale)

2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

   (Substitute Parmesan)

Garlic Toast or Toasted Italian Bread

Instructions

Dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Pulse onion, celery, and garlic in food processor until very finely chopped, 15 to 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; remove to another bowl and set aside. Add tomatoes to food processor with their juice and pulse until tomatoes are finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses; set aside.

Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add onion mixture, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes and cook until fennel begins to soften, 7 to 9 minutes. Add tomatoes and beans. Slowly stir in broth. Do not fill past the max fill line on the Instant Pot. Discard any extra broth. 

Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and set cook time for for 1 minute. (Note: It will take the Instant Pot 10-15 minutes to become fully pressurized. It will then count down for one minute of pressurized cooking.) Turn off Instant Pot and let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick-release the remaining pressure staying clear of the hot steam when you press the pressure release switch. Then carefully remove lid, allowing remaining steam to escape away from you.

Measure out and reserve 1 cup hot broth into a heat safe measuring cup. Stir escarole into pot, 1 handful at a time, and let cook in residual heat until escarole is wilted, about 5 minutes. Toast your garlic bread or Italian bread. 

Gently whisk egg yolks together in small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly add reserved broth to eggs until combined. Stir yolk mixture, parsley, and oregano into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with cheese. Serve with garlic toasts or toasted Italian bread laid on the soup at serving time.