Spanish Bean Soup with Clam (Alubias Blancas con Almejas)
Spanish Bean Soup with Clam (Alubias Blancas con Almejas) brings creamy white beans and briny clams together in a warm Spanish-style broth.
Ingredients
For White Beans:
- 250 g dryed white beans sorted and rinsed
- 1500 ml water
- 1 leek
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For Clams:
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- ½ red pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 dried chilies
- 1 tomato diced
- 500 g clams
- 50 ml wine
- 200 ml fish broth
- Parsley
Instructions
- Soak white beans in water for 10 hours or overnight, then drain.
- In a pressure cooker, place the beans and pour the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, skim, and remove all impurities.
- Add leek, onion, tomato, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and olive oil. Cook in a pressure cooker for 18 minutes or until the beans are tender.
- While the beans are cooking, pour extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan and heat.
- Add the chopped onion to the saucepan, season with a little salt, and cook for 4–5 minutes until it softens. Stir in the diced pepper and continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes more, just until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the dried chilies, then stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until they soften and start to break down.
- Add cleaned clams and mix well until combined. Pour wine and cook for a few minutes until clams open. Pour fish broth and cook for 8 minutes.
- Once the beans are cooked, place the onion, carrot, tomato, leek, and a few beans in a beaker and blend until a smooth paste. Pour the vegetable paste over the cooked clams, stirring until combined.
- Add the cooked beans to the saucepan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until well combined.
- Serve white beans with clams on a plate, garnished with parsley.
Notes
Don’t Skip the Overnight Soak: I always soak the beans the night before. It cuts down cooking time and gives them that perfect creamy bite.
Clean Clams Thoroughly: I soak the clams in salted water for 30 minutes to remove any sand, then rinse them well before cooking; it makes a big difference.
Blend the Vegetables Smoothly: I like to blend all the cooked vegetables into a purée to give the broth a silky, rich texture that feels so comforting.
Let the Beans Simmer Gently: I always keep the heat low and steady; this helps the beans stay whole and tender without falling apart.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 884mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4129IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 3mg
