It's supposed to start getting warmer soon right? I really hope so, because I for one have had enough of long days of shoveling and nights when no matter how many blankets I pile on my bed, I'm still freezing cold. One thing I'm not sick of, though, is getting cozy with a bowl of hot soup.
Especially when that soup is loaded up with protein-packed white beans, fresh herbs, flavorful prosciutto, and a hefty amount of roasted garlic. Mmmm.
The greatest thing about this soup (aside from the flavor, of course) is that it is filling. It's not one of those soups that leaves your stomach rumbling-- this soup is a full, satisfying meal. I don't know about you, but when I come in from clearing the driveway of what seems like abnormally heavy snow, with sore arms and a near-heart attack pulse, I want something hearty. This soup is hearty.
Side note: There is nothing like shoveling snow to remind you that you should probably put that gym membership to use more often. I mean, I feel like I'm about one more snow pile away from death sometimes. Can I get an amen? Or, better yet, a snow-blower?
While we all beg for summer to hurry up and get here already (we've got 105 days left, people), warm yourself up with a big bowl of Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup and enjoy what is hopefully the last of soup season.
EDIT: Check out this awesome watercolor painting of the Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup by the Meaty Elbow!
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Roasted Garlic and White Bean Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1 celery stalk, diced small
- 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme, or whatever you have on hand)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 (15 ounce) cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut off the very tops of the skins of the garlic cloves, exposing just a tiny bit of the garlic. Toss in a tablespoon of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast the garlic for 30-35 minutes, or until it is soft and can be squeezed out of the skin.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy. Remove the prosciutto with a slotted spoon, cut ⅔ of it into small pieces, and set aside.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil and add in the onion, red bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add in the chopped prosciutto, herbs, salt and pepper, white beans, and chicken stock. Stir to combine well.
- Simmer for 40 minutes with the lid partially ajar. Squeeze in the roasted garlic when it is ready, and stir to combine.
- After 40 minutes have passed, mash up some of the beans using the back of a wooden spoon. Mash up any large chunks of garlic you see as well. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste and add additional seasonings if necessary. Serve with crusty bread for dipping!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
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