Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 cans of cooked white beans (400g drained each)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 leek (white part only, sliced)
- 1 small carrot (diced)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 700 ml chicken or vegetable broth
- 50g Iberian ham shavings (for infusion)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika (optional)
- Salt and pepper
For the crunchy topping:
- 60g Iberian ham shavings
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: 1 tablespoon of coarse breadcrumbs (for extra crunch)
Step by step
- Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan.
- Sauté the onion, leek and carrot for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the 50g of ham shavings. Stir for 2 minutes so they melt and release their fat, adding depth of flavor.
- (Optional) Sprinkle the paprika and stir quickly for 10 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the well-drained beans, the hot broth, and the bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes with the pot covered.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Blend half of the soup with a hand blender (or all of it if you prefer a 100% cream texture).
- Return everything to the pot and heat for 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the salt (in moderation, the ham already provides salt).
- In a non-stick frying pan with 1 teaspoon of EVOO, add the 60g of topping shavings and the optional breadcrumbs.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown and crispy.
- Reserve on absorbent paper.
Final assembly
- Serve the soup very hot in deep bowls.
- Top each plate with a generous spoonful of the crispy shavings (and bread).
- Add a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
Final texture
- Creamy and velvety: thanks to the base of crushed beans.
- Soft chunks: thanks to the beans that stay whole.
- Explosive crunch: thanks to the shavings topping and the bread.
- Deep flavor: intense ham flavor without the need to use bone for the broth.
Quick variations
| Base | Substitution | Topping / Extra |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas | 2 cans of cooked chickpeas | Cumin + a touch of lemon |
| Lentils | 400g cooked lentils | Chopped and sautéed chorizo |
| 100% Vegan | Omits the ham and infused with vegetables | Vegan smoked coconut flakes |
Chef’s tip: For the perfect texture, blend exactly two-thirds of the soup; this will give you a spectacular creamy base without losing the texture of the chunks. If you don’t have canned cooked beans, you can use 250g of dried beans (soaked for 12 hours and cooked for 1 hour with bay leaves).
Ready in just 35 minutes!
