Potato and White Bean Puttanesca Soup

By Hetty McKinnon

YIELD 4 servings

TIME 40 minutes

Potatoes and cannellini beans provide the bulk in this hearty soup inspired by pasta puttanesca (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11583-pasta-puttanesca), while the
garlicky tomato base is imbued with the briny punch of capers and black olives. The signature of puttanesca is heat, so adjust the amount of red-pepper flakes to your
liking or use fresh chiles, if you have them. Reserve some of the olives and capers, and combine with parsley to make a topper that amplifies the sharp, bright flavors.
Haphazardly mashing some of the beans and potatoes is an efficient way to thicken the soup, without the need for any additional equipment. In fact, it’s a great trick to
have up your sleeve whenever you are looking to thicken soups or stews.

INGREDIENTS PREPARATION

2
tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving Step 1

1
medium onion, finely diced (about 2 cups) Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the
onion, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.
½
cup black olives, roughly chopped
2
tablespoons capers, roughly chopped Step 2
3
garlic cloves, finely chopped Reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup black olives, 1 tablespoon capers and the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2
1
(28-ounce) can diced tomatoes minutes until the garlic is lightly golden.

½
teaspoon granulated sugar Step 3
1 ½
pound Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-
Add the tomatoes and sugar, and cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling and tomatoes have
inch pieces thickened slightly, 5 minutes.
1
(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
Step 4
½
teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or more to taste
Add the potatoes, cannellini beans, red-pepper flakes and stock; stir and cover. Cook until potatoes are
3
cups vegetable stock
tender, about 25 minutes.
¼
cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems (or
fresh basil leaves) Step 5
1
tablespoon balsamic vinegar As potatoes cook, prepare the topping for your soup: Place the remaining 1/4 cup olives, 1 tablespoon
Kosher salt and black pepper capers and the parsley on a cutting board, and chop everything together.

Step 6
Once the potatoes are tender, add the balsamic vinegar. Using the back of a large wooden spoon,
roughly crush or mash about a quarter of the potatoes and beans against the side of the pot. This will
thicken the soup. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Step 7
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the caper-olive-parsley topping. Finish with a drizzle of
olive oil. This soup can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. This will deepen the flavors.

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