Magical White Bean Soup

With a name with the word magical in it, you have to try it, right?  Okay, so the picture may look weird, and the recipe might seem odd. It is from Shauna Niequist's book Savor. (Stay tuned for that book review.)

It was so different from other soups that I just wanted to try it. I could not find one ingredient and my grocery story only had prosciutto wrapped around mozzarella. The more cheese, the merrier (I say).

And not everybody puts a vinaigrette on top of their soup, but the author does, I wanted to try it out.  Or you could have it without the vinaigrette, like Jared did.

As I have said before, I like the mixing of flavor.

Jared liked the soup too. I tried to convince him to go on a soup only diet with me. He declined. I have been making a lot of soups lately, and this was a good one.


Ingredients:

For the soup:
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 pound carrots, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, sliced - My grocery store did not have any.
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 tablespoons rosemary, rough chopped
6 cans white beans in liquid (cannellini or great Northern beans)
salt and pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard - I used Creole mustard.
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For serving:
Prosciutto, torn into ribbons - or just throw it in wrapped around mozzarella like I did.
Parmesan, curled into strips with a vegetable peeler

Instructions:

For the soup:

In a stockpot or dutch oven, soften two sliced shallots in olive oil over medium heat.

Add carrots, fennel, and celery, and allow to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add beans in their liquid and chopped rosemary.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes at a gentle boil.

Taste, add salt and pepper, and taste again.

Cook for an additional 20 minutes, or longer if you have time.

Off heat, mash with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon for a rustic, chunky texture. If you'd like a smoother texture, run it through the food processor or blender. (I skipped this step.)

For the vinaigrette:
Spoon Dijon into an old jelly jar or mason jar, then add vinegar and salt and pepper.

Close lid and shake vigorously.

When all ingredients are combined, add in the olive oil and shake again.

For serving:
Drizzle vinaigrette and top with Parmesan and prosciutto.

Enjoy!