Once upon a time, I ate the fish soup with aioli, and it was a day to remember. It was less about the quality of the soup or the aioli and more about the pleasure of stirring something rich, strong, and creamy into the warm, light soup. The more I stirred the soup, the richer it became. I believe that both greens and beans are receptive to creaminess, therefore I’ve used them as conduits in my summer stew to recreate a similar experience.

Summer beans seasoned with basil aoli
To make aioli, you’ll need a blender or stick blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 2
200g silken tofu (drained weight)
5 garlic cloves, peeled, 3 minced
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
1½ tbsp lemon juice
20g picked basil leaves, plus extra to serve
7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
6 sticks celery (400g net), finely chopped
1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
200g green beans, halved
150ml white wine
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained

Tofu, two whole peeled garlic cloves, a quarter-teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, basil leaves, and three tablespoons of oil are combined in a blender (or with a stick blender), then transferred to a serving bowl.

Place the remaining four tablespoons of oil in a medium to a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the celery and onion and sweat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced and caramelized. Add the three minced garlic cloves, simmer for two minutes while stirring, and then whisk in the tomato puree, remaining teaspoon of salt, and green beans. Add the wine and let it evaporate for approximately six minutes. Add the cannellini beans and 600ml of freshly heated water. Simmer for five to seven minutes, or until the cannellini beans are soft.

Place the beans in two dishes and top each with a dollop of basil aoli, copious amounts of olive oil, and a few basil leaves.