A Momentary Bean Soup Post

Hey ya'll! The South is completely lovely, and I can't wait to show you some pictures from my recent trip. I just got back from the mountains where I spent the last few days in bliss. Last night, the Madre Unit and I cooked us up some hearty bean soup to last up through the New Years. It incorporated herbs from the garden. It takes a long while to make, but most of it is cooking time, so no biggie. We had the soup with foccacia and a mixed greens salad with pear, walnuts, and parmesan and a fig balsamic vinaigrette.

Winter White Bean Soup with Rosemary Oil

(serves 6-8)
2 Cups cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 large yellow onion, small dice
2 carrots, small dice
2 small celery ribs with leaves (1 1/2 large), small dice
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 cup diced canned tomatoes with their juices
1 quart vegetable broth + 2 quarts water
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups dried pasta that will catch beans (like shells)
1/2 cup parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Rosemary Oil
1/3 cup olive oil
2 heaping tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, sliced

Cover the beans with boiling water and set aside while you prep everything else.

For the rosemary oil: slowly warm the oil with the rosemary and garlic until the garlic begins to color, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

For the soup: Heat the oil with the tbs of rosemary in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until onion starts to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and 1/3 cup parsley and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Drain the beans and add them to the pot with the tomatoes. Give a good stir and add in the water and stock (I use Pacific). Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook covered for 1 hour.

While soup is cooking, strain the rosemary oil. Cook the pasta and drain.

Add 3-4 tsp salt and pepper to taste to soup and continue cooking for 15 minutes, then uncover, turn the heat to med-high, and cook for a last 15 minutes, until beans are tender. At the end, adjust pepper and add in last 1/4 cup parsley.

Puree a little over half the soup until it thickens up some. Distribute soup in bowls and stir in pasta. Drizzle a handsome bit of rosemary oil into each bowl and top with shaved parm.

Fig Vinaigrette
roasted walnut oil
fig essence
balsamic vinager
salt and pepper
finely minced shallot
dijon mustard
sherry

Toss in a jar and shake. Proportions = desired flavor.