White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Parmesan

I was flipping through our Williams-Sonoma Italian Favorites recipe book to find a great soup for a romantic Valentine's dinner and found this recipe. As soon as I put the ingredients in the pan our house filled with the most amazing aroma- onions, garlic, rosemary...it was incredible. The taste didn't disappoint either. It's a hearty soup that doesn't fill to heavy. I made a few changes to the recipe and was so happy with the way the soup turned out and hope you enjoy it too.

Recipe:

2 cans white kidney beans

2 TBL olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

7 cups chicken broth

salt & ground pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

Open both cans of beans and rinse in a colander. Put aside.

 Chop onions, carrot, and celery as well as mince the garlic and rosemary.
(Side story- I really teared up this last time the onion was so strong!)

 On medium heat, heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Once the oil is hot add onions, carrot, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally until they are soft (about 10 minutes).

 Once the vegetables are soft add the garlic and rosemary. This is where the aroma becomes mouthwatering. Saute for another 1-2 minutes.

 Add the beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil. I recommend adding the ingredients in that order since I poured in the broth and then got it everywhere when I added the beans. :-)

 Once the soup comes to a boil turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Take a third of the soup and put it in a blender and puree. Add back to the soup. This will help thicken the soup.

 Add grated Parmesan cheese to the top and you are done. I really enjoyed making this soup and eating this soup.

Enjoy!