Catalan

Medium · Hot

White Bean and Fennel Soup with Saffron

A warming Catalan-inspired white bean soup where silky beans meet sweet roasted fennel, finished with a generous pinch of saffron that turns the broth a beautiful golden hue.

Recipe by

Núria Ferrer

The Mar i Muntanya Cook

Prep

20 min

Cook

45 min

Total

1h 5m

Method

Prepare the aromatics

Dice the yellow onion, slice the fennel bulb (reserving some fronds for garnish), and finely chop the garlic. Dice the carrot and roughly chop the tomatoes. Cut the potato into small cubes.

Build the sofregit

Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 10 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped garlic and sliced fennel to the pot. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the fennel softens and becomes fragrant, releasing its anise perfume.

Stir in the diced carrot and chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and let this sofregit cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is deeply aromatic and jammy.

Simmer the soup

Add the potato cubes and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.

In a small cup, steep the saffron in 3 tablespoons of warm broth for 2 minutes, then stir the saffron liquid into the pot. This will turn the soup a gorgeous golden color.

Add the white beans to the pot. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have melded together beautifully.

Finish and serve

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. The soup should be thick and comforting.

Ladle into warm bowls and finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, and a few fennel fronds if desired. Serve with crusty bread alongside.

Nutri-Score

Excellent balance

A–E · lower is better · score -9

Calories

584

per serving

Source of protein · 26gSource of fibre · 10gLow sugar · 6gLow saturated fat · 3g

Protein

26g

Carbs

76g

Fat

22g

Sat. fat

Fiber

10g

Sugar

Sodium

677mg

Gluten FreeDairy FreeHeart HealthyDiabetes FriendlyLow Saturated FatHigh FiberHigh ProteinBalanced Macros

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Environmental impact

Low impact

A–E · lower is better · includes estimates

kg CO₂e

0.5

per serving

BCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade

Water

0.7m³

Runoff

0.06g P

White beans drives 35% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderSilkySmoothCreamy

Aromas

AniseHerbalGarlickyFloralSavory

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven Chef Knife Cutting Board Wooden Spoon Measuring Spoons Measuring CupsSmall BowlPlastic Wrap

Counter FootprintSmall

Techniques

SofregitSlow SautéIngSimmering SteepingFinishing

Safety & Storage

Cross Contamination

Use separate cutting boards for raw garlic and fennel to prevent bacterial transfer. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw vegetables.

Storage

Cool soup to room temperature within 2 hours, then refrigerate in airtight containers. Consume within 3-4 days.

Cooking Temperature

Bring chicken broth to a rolling boil before adding other ingredients. Ensure soup maintains simmer (185°F/85°C) throughout cooking to safely destroy pathogens.
Chicken broth must reach internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before consumption. Use a calibrated food thermometer to verify.

Shelf Life

Refrigerated leftover soup remains safe for 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 2 months.

High Risk Population

Immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and young children should ensure chicken broth is homemade without additives or purchased from verified sources free of cross-contamination risks.

Allergen Warning

When serving with crusty bread, clearly label wheat/gluten content. Verify chicken broth ingredients as commercial varieties commonly contain celery, gluten, or sulfites not listed in recipe.

Handling

Saffron threads are delicate; steep in warm (not boiling) liquid for optimal color release without bitterness. Store saffron in airtight container away from light.

Pro Tips

Technique

Never rush the sofregit — those 15 minutes of gentle cooking are where all the flavor lives. The onions should be completely soft and translucent, the tomatoes broken down into something jammy and deeply aromatic. This is the soul of the soup, and a thin, undercooked sofregit will give you a thin, undercooked soup.

Substitution

If you can't find fresh fennel, you can substitute with an extra carrot and a teaspoon of fennel seeds — but I do hope you'll seek out the fennel, because its sweet anise perfume is what makes this soup distinctly ours. If using dried white beans, soak them overnight; canned beans work beautifully too, just drain and rinse them well before adding.

From the chef

White beans and fennel are a natural pair — the fennel perfumes the pot with its gentle anise from the moment it softens alongside the onion, and the beans bring a creaminess that makes the broth feel generous without any cream at all. The sofregit of onion, fennel, carrot, and tomato cooks low and slow before the beans and potatoes join in, and then a pinch of saffron steeped in warm broth is stirred through, turning everything a beautiful gold. It finishes with olive oil and parsley and nothing more. Warming, honest, and deeply satisfying — the kind of soup that does exactly what it promises.

Núria FerrerThe Mar i Muntanya Cook

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TagsWhite BeanFennelSaffronSofregitOne PotWarmingComfort FoodMediterraneanWinter

AllergensGlutenCelerySulfites

Source: generated · June 10, 2026