Victoria's Kitchen Corner: Tuscan White Bean Soup

I will serve this with whole wheat crusty bread and a salad for lunch or as a light dinner. Use grated Romano Cheese on top, sparingly.


Tuscan White Bean Soup
Serves 6

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium-size onion- finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic-peeled and pressed or finely minced
4 cups cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) cannellini beans or other
White beans such as Great Northern or navy
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices
1 fresh sage leaf
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the beans, tomatoes, and sage leaf. Add the broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove and discard the sage leaf.

Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree or use an immersion blender. Return the soup to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat before serving if necessary. Stir in the parsley just before serving.