Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Cannellini and rosemary soup

It's cold. It's snowing. I have a sick kiddo and a husband coming down with something. You probably already know that soup is my solution to life's persistent problems. But what if there is no time to go shopping for fresh ingredients or to cook? Emergency soup to the rescue! The recipe goes something like this: put whatever you have in the pantry into a pot, bring to a simmer, and serve. This time it was a few jars of white beans and a carton of chicken stock. I am not normally big on cooking from a can, but this soup is so satisfying, you'll forget its humble origins.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (or more olive oil)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced as thin as possible
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary (use fresh, not dried)
2 15 oz jars white beans such as cannellini, navy, or great northern
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (or less if you are counting calories)
Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Set a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until translucent and completely tender stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to cook stirring occasionally until garlic is tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the beans and rinse in a colander. Add the beans and the wine to the pot. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Add the stock, cover, and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium-low, uncover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the cream. Season to taste. Puree with a blender. Pour into bowls and drizzle with a good quality olive oil (optional). Serve.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like this blog is fantastic, is really good written. Congratulation. Great photos…this looks delicious ! :-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the inspiration-- I got rid of a can of navy beans and added some carrots and celery to the mix, along with some bacon. Very tasty, and quick.

suzanneelizabeths.com said...

It looks and sounds simply delicious! I especially like the delicate drops of olive oil...the perfect meal for a winter afternoon.

BTW, I hope your kiddo and hubby are feeling better.

Beautiful blog!

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

what a beautifully simple - and, I bet, absolutely delicious - soup. I hope it does the job curing your famiy of their ills!

Anonymous said...

This is perfect, I'm planning on making a different soup everyday for a week. Yours looks delicious and am planning on making it.

Thank you!

Caty said...

Ooh, I love rosemary, and paired with cannellini beans? Heavenly!

Best of all the recipes looks simple but I bet you wouldn't be able to tell from the finished product.

Anonymous said...

Hi Helen, this soup looks like it's full of healing. Hope your hubby feels better afterwards. I've been looking for a recipe that uses rosemary because my bushes are just going crazy right now in ...sunny Southern California, sorry. :)
If you need anymore rosemary, I'll send it to you! I've got tons and it hardly costs anything to send it!

Helen said...

Free rosemary -- hmm, that sounds tempting. Can you guys ship me some warm weather with it :)

Cheers,
-Helen

Anonymous said...

Please fix this typo:

forget it's humble

Anonymous said...

I made this for dinner last night and I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it was. It was so good, my husband admitted he'd even eat it without the bacon I added - the highest compliment.

This is getting written down in the household cookbook for frequent use.

Helen said...

Mmmm -- this with bacon... you are making me hungry :)

So glad the soup worked out for you.

Rachel said...

Oooh - this is right up my alley. I can't believe I've never made something like this. It's definitely lunch tomorrow. Thank you!