The inspiration for test kitchen director Ruth Cousineaus velvety chilled bean soup comes from Mediterranean-cooking authority Claudia Roden's recipe for bissara, an Egyptian bean-and-herb purée. The beans here are lima and green, simmered in chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth if you want to go vegetarian) and then puréed until silky. The herbs—parsley, cilantro, dill, and mint—are blended with olive oil so that you can finish the soup with a verdant drizzle, but dont think of the herb oil as merely a garnish: Its bright flavor brings everything together.
Soup, without herb oil, can be chilled up to 2 days. Add herb oil just before serving.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 1/2 hr
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Simmer lima and green beans, water, broth, scallions, cumin, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan over medium heat, covered, until beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Purée mixture in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Chill (covered once cool) until cold, about 1 hour.
Step 2
While soup chills, purée herbs with oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in cleaned blender.
Step 3
Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve with herb oil swirled in.
Recipe notes
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