BEAN AND POTATO SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• 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.
• Reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup black olives, 1 tablespoon capers and the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden.
• Add the tomatoes and sugar, and cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling and tomatoes have thickened slightly, 5 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, cannellini beans, red-pepper flakes and stock; stir and cover. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• As potatoes cook, prepare the topping for your soup: Place the remaining 1/4 cup olives, 1 tablespoon capers and the parsley on a cutting board, and chop everything together.
• 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.
• 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.

Steps:

• In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the potatoes, cauliflower, beans, onion, garlic, vegetable stock, butter, wine, thyme, garlic powder and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 8 hours on low. 
• Remove and discard the thyme sprig, and turn off the slow cooker. Add the lemon juice. To make a completely smooth and creamy soup, purée the ingredients using an immersion blender. (Or, purée the soup in a blender in two batches, transferring the puréed soup to a different pot.) To make a textured, chunky soup, smash the ingredients using a potato masher in the slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream and chives. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with black pepper, crushed potato chips and shredded Cheddar. For leftovers, gently reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until it just barely bubbles around the edges; don’t let it boil or the sour cream will break.