Mary Slanina, Victoria BC
My mother and father came to Canada from Italy in the early 1950’s to Port Alberni, Vancouver Island. My mom was from a small hilltop village in the Campania region of Italy. My dad was from northern Italy. I grew up with traditional Italian home cooking including dishes such as my bean soup. I also experimented with and adapted other recipes like the bean dip I describe.
My parents had a huge garden, virtually no grass, although some rose bushes. There were lots of tomatoes, beans, potatoes, lettuces and more. Enough to feed our small family and the neighbourhood too. They were generous!
My mom also made the famous ‘pasta fagiole’ with beans but did not use cannellini. She grew a larger “broad” bean variety, white with red specks, likely a traditional “borlotti” or “cranberry” type.
Traditional Cannellini bean and vegetable soup. Photo Mary Slanina.
Mary’s Cannellini bean soup
The soup is similar to one that my mom would make, but I’ve changed a few ingredients to make it my own. My mom, like many immigrants, did not bring recipes with them, it was more ‘one handful of this and one handful of that’!
My mom made this soup year-round but since vegetables were abundant in the summer and fall she’d use what she grew. I don’t ever recall her using canned beans, but ones she grew in the garden and dried. She often added potatoes, but I don’t.
I always recall the house smelling so good when the soup was simmering. Since there’s so much goodness in it, one doesn’t really need anything else. But hot bread and butter, always a good idea! Although in an Italian household it would be bread and cheese, pass on the butter.
Ingredients
- 4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 3 diced carrots
- 3-4 diced celery stalks
- 1/2 cup dried yellow split peas
- 1/2 cup dried green split peas
- 1 litre of organic chicken stock plus 2-3 cups of water
- 2-3 bay leaves
- salt, pepper, ground thyme – all to taste
- 2-4 inch chunks of Parmesan cheese rind (the hard outside part); this goes in when you add the beans
- 1 19 oz can of drained whole Cannellini beans
Preparation
Sauté the vegetables in the olive oil for about 8-10 min. Add the green and yellow beans and sauté for about another 3-5 minutes. Add all the salt, spices, bay leaves. Then add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer for about 1 1/2 hr.
Cannellini beans and parmesan cheese rind can be added when you simmer the soup. If you want the soup creamier, reserve about 1/2 c of the beans and process till smooth. Add to the soup for a ‘creamy’ look and texture.
Mary’s White Bean Dip
I found a recipe for this bean dip on-line but have adapted it to suit our tastes. One of my adaptations involves using canned organic Cannellini beans, often found on sale. Like traditional humus this is easy and quick to make.
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz tin of cannellini beans. Drain, but reserve liquid (will use 3-4 tablespoons)
- 2 heaping tablespoons of tahini (from sesame seeds)
- juice of one lemon
- one or more clove crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin or a little more if you prefer
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1 or 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds – optional
- 1/2 tsp or more salt
Preparation
Beans go into a food processor or large bowl if using an immersion blender. Add 3-4 tbsp of the reserved bean liquid. Also add the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, crushed garlic, and salt.
Blend the mixture until smooth. If you want it a little less runny, start with 2 tbsp bean liquid. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
Once you’re happy with the taste, put the dip onto a plate and using the back of a spoon, make a pattern, similar to icing a cake. Drizzle the olive oil on the dip, sprinkle with parsley and pomegranate seeds if using.
We eat this with a variety of chopped veggies and tortilla chips.