Tuscan Cannellini Bean Soup
This creamy cannellini bean soup comes together so quickly it’s hard to believe how delicious it is. It’s made from brain-healthy ingredients I always keep stocked in my pantry: canned beans (lots of varieties), anchovies from a tin, extra virgin olive oil, and vegetable broth (from a carton or homemade that I’ve stashed in the freezer.) With these on hand, you can have the soup on the table in under 30 minutes.
A quick sauté of mushrooms to top the soup adds rich umami flavor and brain-healthy properties.
Mushrooms are a brain-healthy food
It has long been observed in Japan that eating mushrooms correlates with fewer symptoms of dementia. A large study out of Singapore this year found that seniors who ate at least two servings of mushrooms each week had less mild cognitive impairment (early signs of dementia) than those hardly ever ate mushrooms. The most commonly eaten mushrooms were golden, oyster, shiitake, and white button mushrooms, as well as both dried and canned ones.
Porcini may help keep Italians dementia-free
Dr. Robert Beelman, a professor emeritus at Penn State, found that the porcini mushrooms in northern Italy may help keep older Italians free of dementia. He observed that Italians who ate more of these mushrooms had less neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. He postulates this is due to porcini mushroom’s high amounts of ergothioneine and glutathione—two antioxidants thought to be key in preventing the aging of neurons in the brain.
Dr. Beelman and his colleagues also found that the ergothioneine content of mushrooms varies by the species. Porcini, as it turns out, is the most ergo-rich of the 13 mushrooms he tested. The good news: most mushrooms contain both of these neuroprotective antioxidants. Beelman and his colleagues hypothesize that the tradition of foraging and consuming porcini give Italians an edge against neurodegenerative diseases. (Read more about Dr. Beelman’s research in this article.)
It’s good news that these brain-friendly antioxidants remain active whether the mushrooms are consumed raw or cooked. Just two half-cup servings of mushrooms each week is enough to boost ergothioneine levels in the blood.
Beyond mushrooms, the other ingredients in this soup—beans, anchovies, olive oil, rosemary—are part of the 10 Brain Healthy Food Groups that are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Rosemary has been studied for its ability to improve memory, alleviate depression and enhance the speed and accuracy of cognitive tasks. Canned beans are just as nutritious as home-cooked. Just be sure to look for low-sodium organic beans that come in BPA-free cans, and rinse well before using. Besides being packed with brain-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, anchovies are a great source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient for basic cognitive function.
Even if you don’t care for anchovies, I urge you to give them a try in this soup. They melt away after being sautéd in olive oil and blended into the soup, leaving only their briny, rich flavor behind.
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
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- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 large cloves garlic smashed with a knife
- 2 anchovy filets packed in oil
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans rinsed
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped plus 3 sprigs and more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- Finely ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh cremini or white buttonmushrooms coarsely chopped
Ingredients
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- Heat ¼ cup of the oil and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until they start to fall apart.
- Add the broth or water, beans, rosemary sprigs, and1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the mushrooms until soft and brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs from the pot and transfer the soup to a blender, in batches if necessary. Puree until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of mushrooms, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of chopped rosemary.
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