Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Bean Soup (El Bulli, world-famous restaurant) Recipe
This Bean Soup involves you from El Bulli restaurant, famed in its time for topping the World’s 50 Greatest Restaurant record, yr after yr. However worry not! This isn’t a fancy Michelin star dish. It’s a easy bean soup from the El Bulli workers cookbook.
If this tasty little quantity is sweet sufficient for the parents behind this world class restaurant, it’s ok for the remainder of us!
El Bulli was a restaurant in Catalonia, Spain, that cemented its place in eating historical past as one of many world’s all-time best eating places. This 3-Michelin restaurant run by the chef Ferran Adrià is finest often known as a pioneer of molecular gastronomy – a extremely technical, progressive type of meals that sought to redefine conventional preconceptions of meals and eating.
Famously solely open for five months of the yr, touchdown a reservation in its heyday was akin to hanging gold. Even billionaires and Hollywood elites would chopper in, clamouring for an opportunity to style mind-bending nouveau-Spanish dishes like spherified liquid olives and the “vanishing ravioli”. Fairly a step up from the form of nosh I’m used to sharing on this web site!
The dishes cooked by the kitchen for employees meals nonetheless had been rather more recognisable, home-style fare by comparability. A group of those recipes is revealed in “The Household Meal” El Bulli cookbook. This meals is unquestionably a lot nearer to residence and on my degree!!😂
The bean soup I’m sharing right now is predicated on a recipe from the guide. No dehydrators, Pacojets or xanthan gum wanted for this one, I promise! All it’s is only a good, conventional Spanish bean soup topped with a deliciously punchy, pesto-like picada that actually brings it residence.
The unique recipe from “The Household Meal” El Bulli cookbook comprises clams. I used to be particularly in search of a vegetarian bean soup so I left it out, and nonetheless thought it was scrumptious. In order that’s what I’m sharing right now.
There’s two components to this bean soup: the bean soup itself and picada, a pesto-like condiment utilized in Catalan delicacies. Don’t even take into consideration skipping it. It actually makes this in any other case quite simple soup!
Substances within the soup
Right here’s what you want for the soup:
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Vegetable inventory (forgive the typo above, I’ll repair it!) – Retailer-bought is okay however truthfully, home made vegetable inventory is a cinch to make and takes this soup from good to nice! In some way I can’t think about El Bulli making this with packet inventory! 😂
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Beans – Simply on a regular basis canned cannellini beans. El Bulli made this with dried beans they cooked themselves, which do style higher than canned. I opted for canned for comfort nonetheless so I (you!) could make this soup proper now. However I’ve included instructions within the recipe for making this with dried beans.
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Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, generally labelled “tomato puree” within the US (right here’s a photograph of Mutti tomato passata bought at Walmart). It’s available in Australian supermarkets these days, alongside pasta sauces. Extra on tomato passata right here.
El Bulli in all probability made their very own from contemporary tomatoes. We’ll just do fantastic with retailer purchased. 😉
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Garlic and onion – Important flavour base for an in any other case easy soup.
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Further virgin olive oil – For cooking. El Bulli in all probability pressed their very own – heh! However you possibly can simply use retailer purchased, don’t fear 👍🏻
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Bay leaves, thyme and rosemary – A surprisingly small quantity in comparison with the standard beneficiant volumes of herbs I exploit in my recipes, and it’s all we’d like for his or her delicate flavour.
I additionally really feel (immaturely) very smug that I can say these are out of my very own backyard. 🙌🏻
The actual El Bulli clam model
In the event you really feel that you’re prepared for the complete El Bulli expertise by including clams, right here’s how:
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Soak clams for 1 hour as it will assist the clams to purge themselves of any sand.
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Take away from the water and add them to the soup 5 minutes earlier than the top.
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If clams aren’t accessible, use mussels as an alternative. 😊
Substances for the Picada
As talked about above, Picada is to Catalans what pesto could be to Italians and sauce verte to the French. A brightly herby inexperienced paste emulsified with oil, a dollop or a smear of it simply makes every little thing higher. This bean soup isn’t any exception!
There are a lot of variants of Picada, however typically it’s made with some sort of nut (almond is commonest however the hazelnut flavour right here is on level), parsley, oil (to emulsify the sauce) and normally garlic. Typically bread can also be added to thicken it, however we don’t want that for our objective.
To make the Picada, it’s so simple as 1-2-3 (4):
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Toast hazelnuts in a skillet with no oil till it smells nutty, shaking the skillet usually – about 4 minutes on medium warmth. This brings out the flavour of the hazelnuts, so don’t skip this step!
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Mix all substances in a jug or jar simply giant sufficient to suit the pinnacle of a stick blender.
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Blitz till it has a consistency of pesto. It shouldn’t be pureed right into a clean paste, you desire a little bit of texture, like so:
The three key steps right here to extract essentially the most out of only a few substances are:
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Sautéing onion for an excellent 8 minutes till golden brown and nearly caramelised;
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Cooking down the tomato passata for 8 minutes till concentrated and sweetened; and
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Pureeing a little bit of the beans to launch flavour and thicken the broth.
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Sauté onions slowly – Sauté onion, garlic and herbs for 8 minutes on medium warmth till it’s golden and nearly caramelised (like we do for French Onion soup – besides this for 52 minutes much less!) Don’t rush this step – the onions rework from pungent to candy. Additionally, cooking the herbs on a low warmth releases the flavour.
Cook dinner down tomato passata for 8 minutes – This step cooks out the water, concentrates the flavour and intensifies the sweetness. Once more, don’t rush this step – it’s simply one other little factor that makes a distinction on this in any other case easy soup!
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Simmer – Add the beans and vegetable inventory, then simmer for quarter-hour.
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Puree – Take away 2/3 cup of the soup and beans then use a stick blender to puree till clean.
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Stir in puree – Add the puree again into the soup and stir. This thickens the watery soup broth right into a creamy consistency and color.
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Add some Picada – Simply earlier than serving, add in half the Picada and stir. This adjustments the color of the soup from orange-red to a red-olive color with little inexperienced bits in it. Only for enjoyable, style the soup earlier than and after the Picada so you possibly can marvel on the distinction it makes!
It’s finest to do that simply earlier than serving to protect the inexperienced color. Having stated that although, don’t fret about leftovers – it’s fantastic if the parsley loses its shiny inexperienced color as a result of we maintain some picada again to dollop on prime of the soup.
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Serve! As soon as the Picada is stirred in, the bean soup is able to serve. Ladle into bowls and dollop with a a number of the reserved Picada for a success of freshness and flavour.
That’s one critically good bowl of soup proper there. And to suppose it’s “simply” made with canned beans!
I do know a few of you might be tempted to skip the Picada, considering it’s an additional step you’d somewhat keep away from. However I promise you, it’s price it. It completely makes it. Don’t depart it out! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 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)
- 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).
- 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.
Notes
1. Passata – This is pureed, strained tomatoes, sometimes labelled Tomato Puree in the US. It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. It is smooth and thick rather than chunky like canned tomato. See here for more information on passata.
2. Beans – any white beans will work great here. Navy beans, lima, butter beans. Other colour beans (kidney beans, pinto, black beans etc) will work just fine but the colour of the soup broth may be a bit different (from pureeing a bit into the soup).
The original recipe uses dried beans. I opted for canned so I (you!) can make it right now. But it is even tastier with dried beans – see below.
DRIED BEANS (navy, cannellini or other white beans) – you will need 2 1/2 cups of any dried white beans.
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)
HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS – soak in plenty of water (beans will triple in volume) 5 – 24 hrs. Drain bring to boil then gently simmer in a large pot of water with 1 tbsp salt* partially covered with a lid. The cooking time will vary wildly depending not just on size/type of beans, but also the age of beans. Fresh dried cannellini beans, 24 hr soak = 25 minute cook. Old large lima beans could take over 2 hours.
Start checking at 25 minutes, and the closer they are to being ready, check every few minutes. They are ready when they’re almost tender all the way through, they will finish cooking in the soup.
SALT – If using large dried beans, add partway through cooking. If using smaller beans (like cannellini) just add at the start (it won’t make them tough or increase cook time).
3. Stock – Stock quality is one of the key things that distinguishes home cooking from restaurant cooking. Vegetable stock is a cinch to make, so I really urge you to consider making your own homemade Vegetable Stock.
4. Table salt is much finer grains than cooking/kosher salt so you will need less. There’s not much salt required in this recipe because canned beans have salt in them. If using dried beans, you will need more – follow recipe to taste and adjust at the end.
5. Recipe source: “The Family Meal” by El Bulli restaurant. The original recipe includes clams. I left it out because I was after a vegetarian bean soup, and it’s still incredibly delicious without.
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. 😊
6. Storage – Cooked soup keeps for 4 days though the Picada stirred into the soup does lose the green colour which is no big deal! The fresh picada used for topping the beans shouldn’t be kept for longer than 2 days because of the raw garlic – any leftover at the end of 2 days best to stir in.
7. Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings. It’s filling – beans are filling, and they keep you full!
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