One of the first soups I made at home and fell in love with was white bean soup. It was also the first soup I made with my immersion blender, which I’ve already plugged on this site. I’m telling you, if you love soup, you simply must have this gadget.
Paired with woody rosemary, this creamy, simple soup is always satisfying, and very straightforward to make. I’ve tried several variations over the years. Some recipes called for basil instead of rosemary, others lacked cream, and some soups skipped pureeing altogether and left the beans in tact to mingle with wilted greens suspended in broth. As enthusiastic as I initially was about these soups, I always went back to rosemary, and essentially the easiest preparation which I have found to be the most luxurious and delicious. Why mess with a good thing?
Cooking notes: With the liquid to vegetable ratio, I tend to add enough liquid to just cover the ingredients that I’m leaving to boil. I find this method usually results in an ideal consistency when it comes time to puree. If your pureed soup is too thick, you can always add more stock to thin it.
Rosemary White Bean Soup
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 branch fresh rosemary
4 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed clean from their juices
5 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
In a large stockpot over medium-low heat, warm olive oil and add onions and carrot. Sauté until the onions are translucent and carrot is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for three more minutes. Add the drained white beans, rosemary branch, chicken stock and bay leaf.
Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the beans are soft. Remove the rosemary branch and bay leaf.
With an immersion blender, puree soup until desired consistency is reached. If using, stir in whipping cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and ladle into bowls. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Rosemary White Bean Soup
