Tuscan White Bean Soup with Herb Croutons and Garlic Chili Oil

Well, winter is officially here. I thought we may have dodged it, but this weekend was INSANELY cold. It snowed a bit yesterday, and it’s gross and rainy out today. No bueno. The good news is, the weather this weekend is forecasted to be in the 50s-60s. Maryland weather is so bizarre. In the meantime, this luxuriously creamy soup with garlicky croutons and the most delicious spicy oil drizzle will be sure to warm you up! (It’s healthy too)!

Print

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Herb Croutons and Garlic Chili Oil

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• For the croutons:
• 1 loaf of rustic Italian bread, cut into 1'' cubes
• 2-3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. pepper
• handful of chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme and oregano)
• For the soup:
• 1 T. butter
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3 sage leaves
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c. canned light coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• For the chili oil:
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Begin by making the croutons. Toss bread cubes in olive oil, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Spread on large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or so, tossing occasionally until golden. Add fresh herbs and toss when they come out of the oven. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large pot or dutch oven, add olive oil and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the sage leaves, beans, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add stock, and raise heat to medium/high. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. While soup is simmering, make the chili oil. Add olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, and red pepper flakes to small saucepan over medium heat. Let oil simmer for a couple minutes until very fragrant and garlic is slightly golden. Remove from heat to let cool.
5. Once soup has simmered, remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or very carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Be very careful, hot liquids expand when they are blended. Hold the top very tightly.
6. Once blended, stir in the coconut milk and taste to season with salt and pepper. Portion into bowls, top with croutons and a drizzle of garlic chili oil.

Adapted from giada.