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If Table White Bean Soup
Food is my love language. Food nourishes the body and the soul. Food can heal us. Food brings people together. This IF Table White Bean Soup made an appearance at a recent gathering. The soup is delicious, but the whole evening was comforting, uplifting and encouraging.
Our hostess created such a beautiful setting for our meal
I believe there is something sacred about sharing a meal. When you break bread together, community happens. Authenticity happens. The food brings us there, then the magic happens.
This evening stemmed from the local If Gathering event. I actually did not attend this one, but I have friends that did, and they were kind enough to include me on the If Table. It’s sort of an extension of the main event, but it happens in your home with a group of people.
This recipe uses fennel, if you’re not familiar with it, go here to learn more!Some of us knew each other before hand, some of us didn’t. But guess what? It didn’t matter. It was a sacred beautiful evening. We shared openly, got to know each other better, and encouraged and inspired each other to press on in life.
From now on, I will always refer to this recipe as IF Table White Bean Soup. It will always bring back the memory of that evening and the lovely ladies I spent it with. 🙂
The original recipe, which I adapted from Shauna Niequist’s Bread & Wine, (one of my all time favorite books by the way) was called “Magical White Bean Soup”. I agree, it’s Magical. Something everyone can eat! It’s vegan, dairy free, and gluten free. This is the perfect soup you can pretty much serve to everyone.
I prefer to start with dried beans. I have a dear friend who’s dad is a local bean farmer, so I get all my beans from them. I always say fresh is best, but you certainly can use canned beans with this recipe. I realize there is a little more prep with dried beans. For IF Table White Bean Soup, you’d need to cook the beans ahead of time, and then use them here.
Hot tip!
I like this immersion blender for smoothing out the texture of the soup.
Enjoy this creamy, comforting, soul nourishing soup~ and you’re friends too! Doesn’t this just make you want to have company?
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{If Table} White Bean Soup
creamy, comforting, good for the soul white bean soup. The toppings are what really brings this soup over the top. Prosciutto, parmesan, and balsamic vinaigrette, you can't go wrong.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 -8
Ingredients
- 2 shallots sliced
- 1/2 pound carrots diagonally
- 1 bulb fennel sliced
- 4 celery ribs sliced diagonally
- 12 cups prepared Great Northern Beans or other white bean if using canned, you'll need 6 cans
- 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary plus more for garnishing
- 1 cup sliced prosciutto
- Thick shreds parmesan cheese
- Balsamic vinaigrette ingredients below
- DRESSING:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbs dijon mustard
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot, and cook shallots over medium heat until softened.
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Add carrots, fennel, and celery and allow them to soften, about 15 minutes.
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Add beans and chopped rosemary.
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Bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes or so.
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Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, or longer. The longer, the more flavor.
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While the soup is cooking, pan-fry the prosciutto until slightly crispy and set aside.
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Combine the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well.
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After the soup is finished cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. The toppings do add some saltiness, so go easy.
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Mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture. Or use an immersion blender right in the pot for a smoother texture.
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Ladle into bowls and top the soup with Prosciutto, cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and fresh rosemary.
Recipe Notes
*Note, I use dried beans and prepare them first. Reserve some of the liquid to include in the soup. If you use canned, I recommend rinsing and draining them. Just make sure you add some water or broth to compensate for the liquid drained. In my opinion this is better for you than the preservatives that may be used in store-bought canned beans
Sheila says
December 29, 2013 at 10:26 pmI need to try this one! I’ve tried the lentil soup…but not this one yet!
Art From My Table says
December 30, 2013 at 3:15 pmI love the lentil one too. The bean soup definitely needs the toppings, if you serve plain, you’ll need to add some seasonings.