Italian White Bean Soup

• 1 1/2 cups cannellini beans, or 1 15-ounce can drained, rinsed, and mixed with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 3 leaves fresh sage
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups finely diced yellow onion
• 3 cups finely diced fennel
• Sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced celery
• 1 cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potato
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron
• 8 cups Magic Mineral Broth (page 54), Chicken Magic Mineral Broth (page 55), or store-bought organic stock
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1. To cook the beans, follow the method page 110, adding the olive oil and a sachet made with the rosemary, thyme, sage, and garlic to the cooking liquid.
2. (If using canned beans, skip this step.)
3. To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onions, fennel, and a pinch of salt, and saute until golden, about 4 minutes.
4. Stir in the carrots, celery, potato, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then add the sage, thyme, and saffron and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
5. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Add the remaining 7 1/2 cups broth and the beans, then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the beans are heated through, about 10 minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, basil, and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and serve right away.
8. For a more southern Italian flair and some added lycopene, add 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes (drained) after you add the garlic.
9. Since tomatoes are naturally acidic, skip the lemon juice.
10. This is a soup that swings well both ways, as a hearty soup or as a blended soup.
11. If you serve it blended, top it with a generous amount of Parsley Basil Drizzle (page 187) for extra yum.
12. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
13. (per serving)
14. Calories: 275
15. Total Fat: 4.5g (0.7g saturated, 3g monounsaturated)
16. Carbohydrates: 48g
17. Protein: 12g
18. Fiber: 11g
19. Sodium: 680mg

cannellini beans, extravirgin olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, extravirgin olive oil, yellow onion, fennel, salt, carrots, celery, gold potato, garlic, sage, thyme, saffron, chicken, freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh parsley, fresh basil

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/italian-white-bean-soup-379196 (may not work)