CREAMY BEAN SOUP with Fresh HERBS and SPINACH

(from kylerhea’s recipe box)

“Cara Brunetti of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: “I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a reciper developer, and I’ve been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner.”

Pureeing the soup gives it a smooth richness — without any cream.

Source: epicurious.com (Bon Appetit January 2006)

Serves 8 people

Categories: BEANS, SOUPS

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbs olive oil
  • 3 cups of ch0pped onions, (about 2 medium)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
  • 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 2 15-oz cans white beans, drained
  • 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 1 6 oz pkg baby spinach leaves
  • 1 Tbs finely chopped fresh sage
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. *Heat 3 Tbs olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Add rosemary and stir 1 minute. Add all broth and beans. Bring soup to boil; reduce to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes.

  2. **Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth; return to pot. Mix in spinach and sage; stir until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

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