White Bean Soup with Crisped Prosciutto

Tags

beans, cannelini beans, lemon, prosciutto, sage, soup

It was a cold and rainy day yesterday. We haven’t had many days like that this winter, so I figured I had to take advantage of it while I could. And make soup! What could be more comforting than a bowl of soup while the rain hits the windows!

I’ve been on kind of a bean kick lately, trying lots of recipes involving beans in all sorts of ways. In this soup, they’re pureed down to a creamy delicious soup that’s loaded with vegetables. This sort of thing really is the best way to get me to eat my veggies! And like Courtney always says, make sure to fully read through the recipe! I initially forgot to add the lemon at the end, so when I tasted the soup it was definitely missing something. But once the lemon was in there, it gave it the perfect little zing it needed. And the prosciutto on top was the icing on the cake!

White Bean Soup with Crisped Prosciutto
Yield: about 8 cups

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
4 large sage leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
Salt
6 – 8 thin slices prosciutto
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more as needed

In a large 8-quart pot, heat oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the celery and carrot; cook until softened slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the sage, garlic, and bay leaf and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, or until aromatic.

Add the chicken stock and beans; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft and have started to break down, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Brush both sides of the prosciutto with olive oil and place each piece on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until they are slightly darker and wrinkly, 10 to 15 minutes; they will become crisp as they cool. Once cooled, break into shards and set aside.

To finish the soup, remove the bay leaf and puree the soup with an immersion blender, or use a blender or food processor and puree the soup in batches. Stir in the lemon juice and add more if needed; salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topped with the crisped prosciutto.

Source: Shutterbean

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Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Tags

apple, cream, nutmeg, Pumpkin, sage, thyme

November is at an end… it went by so fast! I suppose I should be stopping with the pumpkin recipes, since now is the time for red and green, peppermint and eggnog. But one more pumpkin recipe before it’s too late! Besides, soup is perfect for winter! This soup is complete comfort food, warming you from the inside out.

I’ve never tried pumpkin soup before, and while it always sounded good, I never saw a recipe that really jumped out at me. Now this recipe, it looked exceptional. I think it was the apple. It sounded like such a wonderful addition, especially when added with the savory herbs where a lot of recipes stick to cinnamon. The apple lends a unique flavor… mildly sweet and mildly tart but still a mild taste of apple among the pumpkin and cream. When it starts getting cold and you feel like something comforting, grab a bowl of this delicious soup!Pumpkin-Apple Soup
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups vegetable stock
⅔ cups natural applesauce
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
30 ounces pumpkin puree
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup cream

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, apples, and salt. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, applesauce, pepper, sage, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and cook until apples are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and brown sugar and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth. Alternately, use a blender to blend the soup in batches. Add the cream and mix thoroughly. Warm over very low heat, and add more cream or water to thin out more, if desired. Remove from heat and serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker