"On my last birthday, I enjoyed a special dinner at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta," says Diane Sullivan of Alpharetta, Georgia. "The entire meal was fabulous, but the white bean soup with truffle oil was absolutely divine."
White truffle oil, should you happen to have a bottle of it, is a delicious "garnish" for this rich and hearty soup.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8 First-Course servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place beans in heavy large pot. Add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Soak overnight. Drain beans.
Step 2
Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, leek, tomato, carrots, celery, garlic and bacon and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add beans, 10 1/2 cups chicken stock, chopped thyme and rosemary. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until beans are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
Step 3
Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream. Add more chicken stock by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Lightly drizzle top of each with white truffle oil, if desired.
Step 4
*White truffle oil is available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets nationwide.
