Silky, Elegant—and from a Can

Ordering pureed soup at a restaurant just feels fancy. That’s not because it’s made from pricey ingredients or enriched with loads of cream; in fact, some of the best soups I’ve had have been based on common vegetables or legumes blended with broth or water. What impresses is the thoughtful composition of the dish: There’s the soup itself, which is perfectly smooth after being pureed in a high-powered blender and passed through an ultrafine-mesh strainer. And then there are the bold, diverse garnishes that sharpen the soup into something attention-grabbing, artful, and deeply flavorful.

But I’m here to let you in on a little secret: There’s no need to go to a restaurant to have this experience. You can pull off something equally sumptuous and interesting without special equipment and with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. And it all starts with a humble can of white beans.