French White Bean Soup

Submitted by Julie Bs Hive

"Serve plain or with a garlic and cheese pesto, (recipe included)."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 1 1/2 cup
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup fennel or 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrot
• salt and pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) can low-sodium tomatoes, pureed ed with their juice
• 2 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 1 (9 ounce) can cannellini, drained and rinsed

• GARLIC PESTO

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat.
2. Add the onion, fennel, carrots, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, stock, basil, and fennel seeds and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the cannellini and simmer 3 minutes longer until heated through.
5. Meanwhile, if using the pesto, combine the garlic, basil, parsley, cheese, and oil in a small bowl and with the back of a spoon, mash the mixture into a paste.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each one with a dollop of the pesto.

Reviews

[Kittencalrecipezazz]

wonderful bean soup, I also added in 6 minced garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons crushed chili flakes for heat, I love the idea of topping with the pesto, so good! thanks for sharing Julie, made for Carribbean tour/ZWT 5

 

[ellie_]

Wonderful soup! I used celery too and also the pesto (delish!). I subbed in chick peas - didn't have the cannellini beans. I also used an emersion blender just before adding the beans for a creamier soup. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Peter J]

What a wonderful winter warming soup! Really nice combination of flavours and I thought the pesto was a great and very worthwhile addition. I love fennel but didn't have any so went with celery but used double the amount of fennel seeds.