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Tuscan White Beans and Winter Greens Soup

Dried beans are cheap, high-protein pantry staples. Stock up. Except for quick-cooking lentils and split peas, dried beans need to soak overnight before cooking to be their most tender and digestible. If you want beans tomorrow, soak your beans tonight. To soak beans, rinse them first to rid them of any grit and toss any errant pebbles or odd bits that found their way into the mix. Pour beans into a large bowl and cover with a couple of inches of cold water. Dried beans are happy to expand and soak up water, so check your beans every now and again and top up with more water, if needed. When you're ready to cook the beans, drain them and rinse them well. This rustic white bean soup is stockless and gets its goodness and oomph from the beans' own cooking liquid. Half a dozen sage leaves impart an amazing amount of flavor. It's just the thing for cooler weather, costs two bucks all told and feeds six. And you'll have done it yourself. Beans may be cooked a day ahead, if that reduces your anxiety. Plan your life accordingly.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound white beans cannelini, great Northern, whatever moves you
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 dried red pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small head escarole or kale washed well, blotted dry and chopped fine
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup or more white wine
  • sea salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large stockpot with tight-fitting lid, add beans and cover with an inch of fresh water. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 whole cloves of garlic, the sage leaves, red pepper and bay leaf and bring to boil.
  • Cover and reduce heat to low. Let beans simmer unattended for 90 minutes. Check your e-mail, have a quickie, watch Mad Men, whatever.
  • Check beans. They should be soft and tender and rich with flavor from the sage and garlic. Fish out bay leaf.
  • (If you want to stop at this point, let beans and liquid cool Store tightly covered in the refrigerator overnight. To proceed, reheat beans in stockpot over medium-high heat.)
  • Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Chop remaining garlic clove, add pinch of red pepper flakes and the chopped escarole or kale. Stir until greens wilt, but are still bright green -- about 3 minutes. Add half a cup of white wine.
  • Using a wooden spoon and some muscle or an immersion blender, smash beans until they thicken into the liquid and turn creamy. Get as smooth as you like -- me, I like some whole bean in there for a nice rustic feel. Heat through over medium-high heat.
  • Stir in wilted greens and remaining half-cup of white wine. Add another half-cup of wine or water, if the mixture seems too thick. Season with sea salt.