Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle one-third to one-half of the soup into a blender and purée until smooth. Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pot. Purée the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pot, add the cream and the pepper. Cover and keep warm over very low heat.

   Step 2

   Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the ciabatta slices with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until golden grill marks appear and the bread is warm, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled bread alongside.