Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup

Cold and rainy days call for soup! And Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup is guaranteed to warm you inside and out.

The recipe comes from expert soup maker Heidi Liebowitz, owner of Souper Natural, a vendor at our Saturday Market at Portland State University. Souper Natural sells more than 40 flavors of soup with ingredients sourced from local farms. Her soups have no MSG or preservatives, and she offers plenty of gluten free, vegan and vegetarian varieties.

Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Great Northern white beans, dried
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, medium diced
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 TBSP fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 24 oz chicken stock (or veggie stock, see tips below)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse beans and check for any foreign matters such as dirt or rocks
2. In a stockpot on med-high heat, add olive oil
3. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrot and cook until they begin to sweat
4. Add tomato paste and seasonings, cook for 5-7 minutes
5. Add white beans, cream and stock. Simmer on medium heat until beans are tender, stirring occasionally
6. Using a ladle or large flat spoon, skim any fat or impurities off the surface and discard
7. Remove from heat and puree. This can be done with an immersion blender directly in the pot or in batches using a blender and then returned to the pot.
8. Add lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste
9. Enjoy!

Tips:

• For a vegetarian version, sub veggie stock for the chicken
• For a dairy-free version, sub cashew cream or other plant-based milk for the heavy cream
• To incorporate more greens, saute any type of kale and add it to the soup
• To make it heartier, add chicken or sausage once the soup has been pureed
• Serve it as a dip using pita chips!