Tuscan White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup

I ended up catching a cold during our adventure in Hollywood so I decided to make a big pot of soup for dinner. I didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I searched online for a soup recipe that called for ingredients that I already had on hand. I found this soup recipe by Giada De Laurentis on the Food Network website. I adapted it a bit by adding more white beans, roasting the garlic, using less butter and olive oil, dried sage instead of fresh sage, adding a bay leaf, and using 2% milk instead of cream . I simmered it all afternoon long so it was very flavorful and delicious. I loved how simple this soup was to make, how good it made my house smell, and how nice it felt on my sore throat.

Tuscan White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup:

Adapted recipe by Latestposter.blogspot.com

Original recipe by Giada De Laurentis - Food Network

• 1 head of garlic, roasted 
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/4 tsp dried sage (more if desired)
• Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
• 2 cans of white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup of 2% milk

Prepare the roasted garlic (click the link above for instructions).

Heat the butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Add the sage, sea salt, and white pepper, to taste. Next add the two cans of white beans. Remove the garlic from the skins, chop into small pieces, and add to the beans. Mash the beans and garlic up a bit using a potato masher. Add the cannellini beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Cover with a lid and simmer the soup for 1-2 hours (or more). Right before serving, add the milk to the mixture and remove the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve with shaved Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy.