Description
Warming white bean and rosemary soup brings comfort straight from Italian kitchens. Fragrant herbs and creamy beans combine in a simple yet elegant recipe perfect for chilly evenings when comfort calls you home.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 (15 ounces/425 grams) cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth for non-vegan)
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Extras:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley (for garnish)
- Juice of half a lemon (optional, for brightness)
Instructions
- Begin the culinary journey by gently heating olive oil in a spacious pot over moderate warmth, inviting the aromatic dance of diced onions, carrots, and celery to soften and release their delicate flavors.
- Introduce minced garlic and fragrant rosemary to the vegetable medley, allowing them to bloom and intensify the sensory experience for approximately one minute.
- Pour in vegetable broth, carefully tumble white beans into the liquid, and add bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes to create a harmonious flavor foundation.
- Elevate the mixture to a robust boil, then reduce the temperature, allowing the soup to simmer and meld ingredients, transforming into a comforting culinary embrace for 15-20 minutes.
- For those desiring a more luxurious texture, employ an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, or carefully transfer half the volume to a blender, returning the silky mixture to the pot.
- Extract the bay leaf, taste and calibrate seasonings with precision, potentially brightening the profile with a whisper of lemon juice.
- Artfully ladle the soup into serving vessels, adorning with delicate fresh parsley sprigs, and present alongside rustic crusty bread or crisp crackers for a complete gastronomic experience.
Notes
- Swap beans for a protein-packed variation by using cannellini, great northern, or navy beans for unique textures and subtle flavor differences.
- Create a gluten-free version by ensuring vegetable broth is certified gluten-free and serving with gluten-free bread or crackers.
- Boost nutrition by adding extra vegetables like kale or spinach during the last 5 minutes of simmering for added vitamins and minerals.
- Enhance creaminess without blending by mashing some beans with a potato masher, creating a rustic, hearty soup texture that retains more bean chunks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg