Creamy haricot bean soup with tarragon

I was first inspired to use white beans and tarragon by the wonderful Nigel Slater a few years back in his Kitchen Diaries. His recipe, naturally, uses butter – which is divine, but not often in my house these days.

Tarragon is one of the lesser-used herbs, but its aniseed perfume can be undeniably addictive when used right. It pairs well with chicken, creamy sauces and white wine (none of which are in my recipe, as it turns out.)

Well, that’s not strictly true: I’m aiming to make my soup creamy without the used of any dairy, and luckily, white beans are there to the rescue. Be they cannellini, haricot, flageolet, when cooked until they’re just falling apart and then pureed, they are absolutely spot on. Adding lots of filler vegetables bulks it up well.

Creamy haricot bean soup with tarragon
(serves 2)

1 tin of haricot beans, drained and rinsed
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
150 g carrot, finely chopped
1 medium leek, finely chopped
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 litre of hot chicken/vegetable stock, preferably homemade, but bouillon will do
2 tbsp light olive spread
20g tarragon leaves
salt and pepper
bay leaf
(optional) low fat crème fraiche

Heat the olive oil spread in the pot over medium heat and add the celery, carrot, leek, red onions and garlic. Allow the veggies to saute until they go transparent – cover if necessary to keep them moist.

After about 8 minutes, add the beans and stir through. Saute for another 2-3 minutes before adding the stock, the tarragon and the bay leaf. Season. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove 3-4 ladelfuls of the veggie/bean mixture (including the bay leaf, but minus the stock) and set to the side. Use a hand blender to puree the rest of the soup left in the pot, before returning the mixture to the pot and stirring well. Do again if necessary to ensure a smooth consistency. Bring back up to a slight bubble and simmer for up to 5 more minutes before seasoning one last time.

Serve with a dollop of low fat crème fraiche, the remaining tarragon leaves (about 20 g per bowl). For the hungrier folks, an additional two pieces of toasted bread cut into ‘soldiers’ for dipping should do the trick.

Calories: for 1 serving with a dollop of crème fraiche but no bread: 365

Image: Zsuzsanna Kilián