White Bean and Rosemary Soup from Oprah.com

I just came across this delicious sounding soup in my nightly webcrawl for food inspiration.  I just had to share!

White Bean and Rosemary Soup with Roasted Garlic Croutons

Rori Trovato

A meal in a bowl for Italaphiles, this soup will arouse hibernating appetites with its aroma of caramelized garlic.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

Croutons:

• 2 whole heads garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt , plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , plus more to taste
• 1/2 loaf unsliced whole wheat bread , cut into 1-inch cubes

Soup:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil , plus more for drizzling
• 1 large onion , chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch coins
• 2 stalks celery , cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) white beans , drained, rinsed and drained again
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400°. Slice off tops of garlic heads so the cloves are just exposed. Rub each head with 1 teaspoon olive oil; wrap loosely in foil. Roast 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven (but leave oven on); let garlic cool until comfortable to touch. Squeeze cloves from the heads into a small bowl; mash with a fork; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine half the roasted garlic with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Add bread and toss until well coated. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make soup: In a large saucepan, heat butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and remaining half of garlic and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Add drained beans and rosemary; cook 10 more minutes. With an immersion blender or in a food processor fitted with knife blade, puree half the soup until smooth. Stir to combine. Serve in bowls topped with croutons and drizzled with remaining olive oil.

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