rosemary and white bean soup

Happy New Year!!  How are you enjoying the first week of 2019??  I was planning on bringing you a recipe for some delicious lemon bars (those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook have seen the pics already!!) but then I realized that it was only the first week of the year and some of you might be eating healthy and don’t need me to tempt you with any kind of delicious lemon dessert right now!

So I will wait at least another week or two before I share those lemon bars (but no promises, haha) and instead give you a recipe for this hearty, healthy, and vegan rosemary and white bean soup!!

This rosemary and white bean soup is a simple and delicious recipe that’s great to make on a rainy or snowy day.  The aromas of fresh rosemary and caramelized vegetables fills the whole house and makes everyone excited for dinner!  The recipe comes together quickly (after soaking the beans) and you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour, which makes it great for busy weeknights as well as relaxing weekends.

We love this rosemary and white bean soup at our house and probably make it once a month during the winter months.  Sometimes we add ham or braised beef to the soup with the beans, and most times my kids request theirs with cooked pasta shells mixed in with the bean broth, and extra parmesan cheese grated over the top.  But something we can all agree on?  This rosemary and white bean soup is a delicious way to enjoy a healthy dinner together!

XO,

Jenn

 

rosemary and white bean soup

makes 6 servings

1 pound dried white cannellini beans

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 14oz canned diced tomatoes

16oz vegetable stock or water

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1-inch and soak them for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, sauté the onions, celery and carrots with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes.

Add the drained white beans, rosemary, tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf.  Cover, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf.

Carefully place about 1/3 of the soup into a blender and puree.  Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper, and enjoy!

my notes: I made this soup with dried white beans that need to be soaked overnight; however, canned white beans would work just as well in this recipe.  If you rather have a chunkier soup, don’t puree in the blender.