Italian White Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried white beans (haricot or flagelot, not lima or butter beans)
• Salt
• Butter
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 leeks, in chunks
• 1 stalk celery
• Chicken or veal stock
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup cream
• Peas, boiled
• Croûtons

Method

1. Soak beans in water for 12 hours, then drain them.
2. Add the drained beans to a stock pot with a little salt, butter, carrot, onion, two leeks, and a stick of celery.
3. Cover with water, and simmer until the vegetables are well cooked.
4. Drain the beans and vegetables, discarding the vegetables.
5. Purée the beans, adding stock as necessary to get a smooth consistency.
6. Transfer purée to a pot, and add stock to get the desired consistency. Bring to a boil, and keep hot until serving.
7. Combine the egg yolks with the cream, and add this to the soup.
8. Transfer the soup to a warm tureen, add some boiled green peas, and serve with fried croûtons handed separately.