Tuscan Bean Soup

Today I have for you Tuscan Bean Soup. I have tasted this recipe before, made with canned Great Northern beans, but I've never made it. Yesterday I went all out and not only made the soup but cooked the beans from scratch, also a first for me. I've been wanting to give it a try for ages and the soup group was the perfect excuse. So thank you.

Tuscan Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 cups diced onions
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
15 large sage leaves
6 cups cooked pinto, Roman, or small red or white beans* (I used Great Northern white beans)
or three 15- or 16-ounce cans, undrained
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock, bean-cooking liquid, or water (I used half veg stock / half bean-cooking liquid)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

*2 cups dried beans will yield about 6 cups cooked


METHOD

If using dried beans, soak, then cook the beans. Drain (saving the cooking liquid if you plan to use in recipe) and set aside.

In a soup pot, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil on medium-low heat until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Stack the sage leaves and cut them crosswise into thin strips. Stir the sage into the vegetables. Add the cooked beans and 3 cups of the vegetable stock, bean-cooking liquid, or water. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup is hot and simmering, 5 to 10 minutes.

Carefully ladle about 3 cups of the soup into a blender and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup. If you wish, add more stock or water for a less thick consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gently reheat the soup and serve hot.

YEILD
approximately 8 cups (64 oz.)

by Jacquette