CREAMY BEAN SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS AND SPINACH - xp

[Guest guest]

Its a soupy kind of day, here in the Midwest. A couple of inches of snow. A good

day to stay inside and make soup!!

 

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CREAMY BEAN SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS AND SPINACH

<!-- ingredients -->3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

5 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetarian broth

2 15- to 16-ounce cans white beans, drained

2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1 6-ounce package baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Grated Parmesan cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

 

 

 

<!-- preperation -->Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium-high

heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté 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.

 

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.

 

Makes 8 first-course servings.

MC Format by Chupa Babi: 01.17.06

Source: Bon Appétit, January 2006

Cara Brunetti Hillyard, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =

" urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags " />Hamilton, VA

 

Cara Brunetti Hillyard 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 recipe 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.

 

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