Tuscan White Bean Soup

A few weeks ago we went to dinner with friends and I ordered a Tuscan white bean soup for my starter and haven't been able to get it off my mind ever since. It had such a simple/hearty/tasty flavor I decided I had to try to figure it out. I think this is very close to the original and it was a hit with the whole family.

*3/4 lb. navy beans

*5 cloves garlic, divided and chopped

*2 tsp. thyme, divided

*1 TBSP. olive oil

*1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

*1 tsp. sage

*1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

*1/4 c. cream

*Parmesan cheese, slices preferred

*croutons

*fresh cracked pepper

*extra-virgin olive oil

Start by sorting and rinsing the beans. I cooked mine in my pressure cooker with 8 c. water, 1 tsp. thyme and 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, for about 25 minutes. Drain beans. If using canned beans, grab 2-3 cans of cannelini beans and rinse and drain them before using. In a stock-pot heat 1 TBSP. olive oil and cook onion over medium heat until fragrant and tender. Add the sage and cook another minute. Pour in chicken broth and add beans, garlic and remaining tsp. thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Remove about 1 c. broth and 1 c. beans and puree. Add puree back to soup, stir in cream and heat another 5 minutes.

To serve: Ladle the soup into a bowl. If you have slices of Parmesan place on top of soup or sprinkle shredded cheese. Top with a handful of croutons, a bit of fresh pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy.

This picture in no way does this soup justice.

Croutons: Any time I've got extra French bread that is on it's way out, I cut it into 1-inch cubes and store in the freezer. When I need croutons, I pull them out to thaw, toast in a 200 degree oven until dry. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, toss in the bread cubes to coat and stir in some seasonings (garlic powder, Kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, whatever flavor you're looking for).