To accompany last night’s Crostini Alla Romana, which I could tell just from the recipe would be rich and filling, I opted for a more simple dish to balance out the taste buds.
I turned once again (surprise) to a Giada recipe. I just love her dishes. But I omitted the ciabatta bread since I made the crostini instead. We also added a bunch of fresh ground pepper to our portions.
This soup is good, but it is definitely a side dish, or a first course. It isn’t really hearty enough, or flavorful enough, to stand on its own as a main course.
Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 sage leaf
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic, cut in ½
- ½ cup cream
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 slices ciabatta bread
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle ⅓ to ½ of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.
- Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes a side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled bread alongside.
