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Bean Soup

A historical recipe from Practical Italian recipes for American kitchens, by Julia Lovejoy Cuniberti (1917).

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A historical recipe

Practical Italian recipes for American kitchens: Sold to aid the families of Italian soldiers, by Julia Lovejoy Cuniberti (1917). Project Gutenberg eBook #43912.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Italy

Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. 1 cup dried beans
  2. 1 cup canned tomatoes Soak
  3. a pinch of soda
  4. two cups of the broth

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Zuppa di Fagiuoli 1 cup dried beans, Kidney, Navy or Lima 1/4 cup oil 1/4 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 sprig of parsley 1 piece of celery 1 cup canned tomatoes Soak the beans over night.
  2. Boil until tender.
  3. Many cooks put the beans to cook in cold water with a pinch of soda.
  4. When they come to a boil, pour off this water and add fresh.
  5. Chop fine the onion, garlic, parsley and celery and put them to fry in the oil with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
  6. When the vegetables are a delicate brown add to them two cups of the broth from the beans, and the tomatoes.
  7. Let all come to a boil and pour the mixture into the kettle of beans from which some of the water has been drained, if they are very liquid.
  8. This soup may be served as it is or rubbed through a sieve before serving.
  9. Croutons or triangles of dry toast make an excellent addition.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Sieve
  • Colander
  • Kettle
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Practical Italian recipes for American kitchens, by Julia Lovejoy Cuniberti (1917). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #43912 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43912). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.