This Bean Soup comes to you from El Bulli restaurant, famed in its time for topping the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, year after year. But fear not! This is not a complex Michelin star dish. It’s a simple bean soup from the El Bulli staff cookbook.
If this tasty little number is good enough for the folks behind this world class restaurant, it’s good enough for the rest of us!
Bean Soup from El Bulli
El Bulli was a restaurant in Catalonia, Spain, that cemented its place in dining history as one of the world’s all-time greatest restaurants. This 3-Michelin restaurant run by the chef Ferran Adrià is best known as a pioneer of molecular gastronomy – a highly technical, innovative style of food that sought to redefine traditional preconceptions of food and dining.
Famously only open for 5 months of the year, landing a reservation in its heyday was akin to striking gold. Even billionaires and Hollywood elites would chopper in, clamouring for a chance to taste mind-bending nouveau-Spanish dishes like spherified liquid olives and the “vanishing ravioli”. Quite a step up from the sort of nosh I’m used to sharing on this website!
The dishes cooked by the kitchen for staff meals however were much more recognisable, home-style fare by comparison. A collection of these recipes is published in “The Family Meal” El Bulli cookbook. This food is definitely much closer to home and on my level!!😂
The bean soup I’m sharing today is based on a recipe from the book. No dehydrators, Pacojets or xanthan gum needed for this one, I promise! All it is is just a good, traditional Spanish bean soup topped with a deliciously punchy, pesto-like picada that really brings it home.
The original recipe from “The Family Meal” El Bulli cookbook contains clams. I was specifically looking for a vegetarian bean soup so I left it out, and still thought it was delicious. So that’s what I’m sharing today.
Ingredients in El Bulli’s Bean Soup
There’s two parts to this bean soup: the bean soup itself and picada, a pesto-like condiment used in Catalan cuisine. Don’t even think about skipping it. It really makes this otherwise very simple soup!
Ingredients in the soup
Here’s what you need for the soup:
Vegetable stock (forgive the typo above, I will fix it!) – Store-bought is fine but honestly, homemade vegetable stock is a cinch to make and takes this soup from good to great! Somehow I cannot imagine El Bulli making this with packet stock! 😂
Beans – Just everyday canned cannellini beans. El Bulli made this with dried beans they cooked themselves, which do taste better than canned. I opted for canned for convenience however so I (you!) can make this soup right now. But I’ve included directions in the recipe for making this with dried beans.
Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. More on tomato passata here.
El Bulli probably made their own from fresh tomatoes. We will do just fine with store bought. 😉
Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base for an otherwise simple soup.
Extra virgin olive oil – For cooking. El Bulli probably pressed their own – heh! But you can just use store bought, don’t worry 👍🏻
Bay leaves, thyme and rosemary – A surprisingly small amount compared to the usual generous volumes of herbs I use in my recipes, and it’s all we need for their subtle flavour.
I also feel (immaturely) very smug that I can say these are out of my own garden. 🙌🏻
The real El Bulli clam version
If you feel that you are ready for the full El Bulli experience by adding clams, here’s how:
Soak clams for 1 hour as this will help the clams to purge themselves of any sand.
Remove from the water and add them to the soup 5 minutes before the end.
If clams aren’t available, use mussels instead. 😊
Ingredients for the Picada
As mentioned above, Picada is to Catalans what pesto might be to Italians and sauce verte to the French. A brightly herby green paste emulsified with oil, a dollop or a smear of it just makes everything better. This bean soup is no exception!
There are many variants of Picada, but generally it is made with some kind of nut (almond is most common but the hazelnut flavour here is on point), parsley, oil (to emulsify the sauce) and usually garlic. Sometimes bread is also added to thicken it, but we don’t need that for our purpose.
To make the Picada, it’s as simple as 1-2-3 (4):
Toast hazelnuts in a skillet with no oil until it smells nutty, shaking the skillet regularly – about 4 minutes on medium heat. This brings out the flavour of the hazelnuts, so don’t skip this step!
Remove most of the skin by bundling them up in a tea towel and rubbing with your hands (see video for demo). Then roughly chop them so it’s easier to blitz. If you don’t chop them, the parsley will be pulverised into a green smoothie before the hazelnuts are crushed.
Combine all ingredients in a jug or jar just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender.
Blitz until it has a consistency of pesto. It shouldn’t be pureed into a smooth paste, you want a bit of texture, like so:
How to make El Bulli’s Bean Soup
The 3 key steps here to extract the most out of just a few ingredients are:
Sautéing onion for a good 8 minutes until golden brown and almost caramelised;
Cooking down the tomato passata for 8 minutes until concentrated and sweetened; and
Pureeing a bit of the beans to release flavour and thicken the broth.
Sauté onions slowly – Sauté onion, garlic and herbs for 8 minutes on medium heat until it is golden and almost caramelised (like we do for French Onion soup – except this for 52 minutes less!) Don’t rush this step – the onions transform from pungent to sweet. Also, cooking the herbs on a low heat releases the flavour.
Cook down tomato passata for 8 minutes – This step cooks out the water, concentrates the flavour and intensifies the sweetness. Again, don’t rush this step – it’s just another little thing that makes a difference in this otherwise simple soup!
Simmer – Add the beans and vegetable stock, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Puree – Remove 2/3 cup of the soup and beans then use a stick blender to puree until smooth.
Stir in puree – Add the puree back into the soup and stir. This thickens the watery soup broth into a creamy consistency and colour.
Add some Picada – Just before serving, add in half the Picada and stir. This changes the colour of the soup from orange-red to a red-olive colour with little green bits in it. Just for fun, taste the soup before and after the Picada so you can marvel at the difference it makes!
It’s best to do this just before serving to preserve the green colour. Having said that though, don’t fret about leftovers – it’s fine if the parsley loses its bright green colour because we hold some picada back to dollop on top of the soup.
Serve! Once the Picada is stirred in, the bean soup is ready to serve. Ladle into bowls and dollop with a some of the reserved Picada for a hit of freshness and flavour.
That is one seriously good bowl of soup right there. And to think it’s “just” made with canned beans!
I know some of you may be tempted to skip the Picada, thinking it’s an extra step you’d rather avoid. But I promise you, it’s worth it. It totally makes it. Don’t leave it out! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Simple Bean Soup from El Bulli (world’s all time greatest restaurant!)
Ingredients
Bean Soup:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (large), minced
- 1 brown onion , (1 large, 2 small), finely chopped (~180g/6oz)
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme , chopped (sub 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary , chopped (sub 1/8 tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf , fresh (or 1/2 dried)
- 1/3 cup tomato passata (Note 1)
- 4 x 400g/14oz cans cannellini beans , drained (Note 2 for dried)
- 3 cups vegetable stock , preferably homemade (else low sodium store bought) (Note 3)
Picada recipe (makes 4 tbsp):
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves , roughly chopped (ie chop then lightly pack in)
- 1 garlic clove (medium), roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup whole hazelnuts , skin on (or almonds)
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt) (Note 4)
Instructions
- Saute onion and herbs 8 minutes: Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, herbs and cook, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until the onions are a deep golden brown and sweet.
- Cook tomato passata 8 minutes: Add tomato passata and cook over low heat for another 8 minutes until the tomato changes from red and watery to dark brown a d very thick. Don't skimp on this step, it's key for flavour!
- Simmer: Stir in the beans followed by the vegetable stock. Adjust heat so it's bubbling very gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off.
- Blitz: Transfer 2/3 cup (150ml) of soup into a jug or jar large enough to fit the head of a blender stick. Blitz until smooth then stir it back into the soup to thicken the broth.
- Stir in Picada: Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of Picada. Taste and add more salt if needed (canned beans differ in salt). Then serve immediately.
- Serve: Dollop each bowl with 1 teaspoon of remaining Picada. Crusty bread highly recommended (easy Artisan, no yeast bread or French brioche).
Picada:
- Toast hazelnuts: Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Add hazelnuts and toast, shaking the skillet regularly, until there are golden patches and they smell nutty.
- Remove most skin: Transfer hazelnuts to a clean tea towel. Bundle up and rub vigorously with hands to remove most of the skin (which is bitter). (No need to do this with almonds)
- Blitz: Roughly chop hazelnuts then add into a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender with remaining ingredients. Blitz until it's like pesto – not completely smooth. Use per recipe.
Recipe Notes:
- 1 can = 1 3/4 cups beans once drained
- Recipe calls for 4 cans = 7 cups beans
- 1 cup dried beans = 2 3/4 cups cooked
- So you will need 2.5 cups dried beans (2.5 x 2.75 = 7 cups cooked beans)
- Soak clams for 1 hour as this will help the clams to purge themselves of any sand.
- Remove from the water and add them to the soup 5 minutes before the end.
- If clams aren’t available, use mussels instead. 😊
Nutrition Information:
More mean bean recipes
Life of Dozer
Dozer those dumplings are not for you. They are for humans!
Delicious! I added chili flakes and a splash of red wine vinegar when serving to amp things up a bit. The picada is indeed what makes this dish.
I agree! Nx❤️
Hi Nagi , the conversion referred to for tomato paste says 15 tbsp of flour &15 tsp of sugar.Seems a lot , I have taken that to read 1.5 (1,1/2 in both case .Is that correct? Thanks Anthony
Hi Anthony…just checked the conversion in the tomato paste recipe here https://discountspot.info/tomato-paste-replacement-for-canned-tomato/%3C/a%3E and it says 1.5, not 15. Did you see is somewhere else? If so let me know so I can change it…the correct amount is 1.5…thanks Nx
Absolutely loved this recipe. I added some fresh Eyre Peninsula mussels at the end and served with crunchy bread. Hubby loved it too, a perfect Friday night meal. Will definitely be making again.
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
The soup is really good and easy. I made this yesterday. I used a mix of cannelloni, lima, and kidney beans as I didn’t realize that I need 4 cans of cannelloni beans. The soup is rich and creamy. The picada makes it perfect. I still had some German sourdough, so I toasted it to accompany the soup. We ate it on the couch while watching a k-drama. It was a great way to spend the evening after a loooong day at work… Thank you, Nagi, for another great recipe!!!
Brilliant recipe!
I actually went to El Bulli many years ago and although it was a superb experience, I think I would have preferred this soup😂
This was a winning dish! Served it with toasted sourdough. My little girl loved it. Hubby added chilli flakes for added kick. This is now part of our favourite dishes on rotation. Thanks Nagi!
Made the Spanish bean soup
Very disappointed with lack of
Oomph . Cooked as per recipe felt it needed hot paprika, so will try
That next.
This recipe surprised me! The soup was good but the picada – wow! So simple & now thinking how fabulous this could be on soooo many things – salads, fish, an accompaniment/boost to so many dishes!
Although to make the picada in such a small quantity was a bit difficult, despite adjusting without sacrificing flavour, so mine may have turned out a bit “chunkier” – didnt bother me!
Just a few ingredients but yet it absolutely makes the dish!
Hi Nagi, this looks great! I’m thinking to make it for tea this week – my partner is a shiftworker and needs “portable” food. Would the flavour improve overnight or should I make it on the day?
I thought the same Sue. I was very underwhelmed. I did everything EXACTLY as stated 🤷♀️…. I tasted it ( without Picada) and thought where’s the flavour, where’s the oomph 🤷♀️ There was very very little….I did wonder for that amount of beans there was very little herbs or spices… I didn’t even make the picada as I thought d’you know what I’ll cut my losses now…. All thrown away 🙈… what a waste …
Makes no sense to throw it out when all you have to di is add more spices!!!
My hubby loved this recipe and has taken the leftovers! Just a note that I had to add water to the parsley mix because there wasn’t enough liquid to get it fully minced up. This is a keeper!
Hi Nagi, going to make this for dinner this week. Just wondering, can I add chopped flat leaf kale to this?
Hi Tamara, are you wanting to add it to the Picada? It may make it slightly bitter. N x
Long time reader, first time commenter! I made this the other night and it was divine. I made the vegetable broth as suggested along with the Picasa. Such a simple list of ingredients but such depth of flavour. Thank you for sharing a brilliant recipe.
Hi Nagi, I had a feeling this would punch above it’s weight and it didn’t disappoint – it was simple and so delicious. I made the homemade veggie stock as you suggested and didn’t skimp on the picada. Thanks for another great recipe!
Wahoo!!!! That’s awesome Emma, thanks so much! N x
Not sure where you got this recipe or if you’ve ever tried it, but the proportions were way off. It needs at least twice as much stock and way more herbs, salt and pepper. Even doubling the seasoning left it flavourless. I’m ver disappointed at the outcome and no way this comes from El Bulli
Hi Chris, I can guarantee you I’ve done more than try it – we test our recipes many, MANY times here before anything is published and I would never put forward anything that I didn’t truly believe in. I also mention the recipe source above. Sounds like you’ve mis-measured somewhere along the line unfortunately! N x
Ignore my message Nagi!! hahahahah! just saw the notes!! lol!
Hey Nagi! This looks DELICIOUS!!!
Would the recipe change much if i used soaked (dry) beans?
Cant wait to try! 🙂
ignore this nagi!!! just saw your notes!! woops!!! haha x
Really yummy, thank you Nagi!
For the picada I used 1/3 parsley, 1/3 coriander and 1/3 mint (which is what I had on hand), and it was delicious. I also added more olive oil and a lug of red wine vinegar cos I enjoy the tang.
I have a question. What is the difference between 1/3 cup of passata reduced until the liquid has gone and it turns dark red, and a tablespoon of tomato paste cooked down until it’s dark red.
I made this exactly as per recipe btw and it’s delicious. Thank you!
Great recipe, tweaked as follows to serve 2 to 4 (with a lesser quantity of beans):
BEANS
Take the time to use dry beans because it will make a big difference. I soaked 3/4 cup each of Navy and Great Northern beans overnight, adding a tablespoon of kosher salt. Rinsed beans and added them to a Dutch oven, covered with six cups of hot water adding a celery stalk (greens at top intact), scrubbed but not peeled carrot, half an onion with skin on, a whole garlic clove, one bay leaf, one Arbol chili, sprigs of fresh parsley and thyme tied together with twine, and kosher salt and pepper. Simmered for 75 minutes with tiled lid. Removed celery, carrot, etc. and used a slotted spoon to move beans to a large bowl. Reserved bean stock.
SOUP
In same Dutch oven heated one tablespoon of grape seed oil and sauted 10-12 oz. of Andouille sausage cut into half moon pieces. Removed and set aside.
Added onions, garlic, bay leaf, 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme (no rosemary on hand) and simmered for 8 minutes. Added a heaping 1/3 cup of tomato passata and simmered for another 8 minutes.
Stirred in the reserved beans followed by 3 cups of vegetable stock and 1/2 cup reserved bean stock. Added the sausage back to the Dutch oven and simmered soup with lid off for 15 minutes, Used an immersion blender inserted directly in the Dutch oven to (gently and quickly) blitz the soup.
While the soup was simmering, I cooked 12 little neck clams in a pan, partially covered with the remaining reserved bean stock,
Added clams as they opened to soup along with 2 tablespoons Picada (made with a mortar and pestle).
Thanks, Nagi!
I’m so glad you loved it Jeff!! Sounds like you nailed it – N x
Thank you Nagi! We just made this for dinner, really nice! Warming, yet fresh with the Picada.
Exactly! Thanks so much for the great feedback Burnie! N x