White bean roasted garlic soup with rosemary and arugula

With the Midwest temperature dipping into the teens, and all that holiday indulgence to counteract, I find myself craving a hearty, filling soup that’s also not too high in calories. This is just the ticket. I came back to it after a former cooking school student e-mailed to ask for a fresh copy. I find it works well with kale as well as arugula, and really you can use any bitter green you like.

To slice the arugula or kale, use the chiffonade method we typically associate with basil. Stack the leaves, roll into a cigar, and slice. The narrower the slices the fancier the appearance. You can see I went for the wide slice at home, but if you’re having company you can practice your knife skills.

White bean roasted garlic soup with rosemary and arugula

Makes about 6½ cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
paste from 1 bulb roasted garlic, about 2 tablespoons (see note)
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

½ cup sliced arugula

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 3 teaspoons dry, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in roasted garlic. Add bread crumbs, beans and vegetable broth and simmer for about 15 minutes to let flavors combine. Stir in Parmesan, arugula and rosemary. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if desired, and serve. Garnish with more Parmesan.

Note: to roast garlic

To roast garlic, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove as much of the papery skins from the garlic bulb and slice the top off the cloves. Place in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 1 – 1½ hours until the garlic cloves have mellowed into a paste and can easily be squeezed from the skins.

Recipe and photo compliments of Janine MacLachlan, www.RusticKitchen.com.  All rights reserved.