White Bean Soup

I've had white bean soup for dinner for two days straight. See how your whining affects my diet?

Just kidding. I've been fighting a cold, and soup is delicious. Seriously, I love white bean soup. It's really easy to make, and creamy without actually requiring me to have cream on hand. It's a great dish to make when you have no fresh ingredients.

Start by soaking two cups of white beans overnight. I use northern or giant lima beans. Simmer the beans in water until they're soft. Meanwhile, sautee a diced medium onion and five chopped up cloves of garlic. If you want to roast a bulb of garlic instead, that'll be even tastier. When the onions and garlic are soft and slightly brown, pour them into the simmering beans. Add salt, pepper, and any herbs you like (oregano, thyme, and parsley are all good).

Pour about a cup of the soup into a blender, and carefully turn the blender on. Cover the top of the blender with a towel and don't close the lid all the way so that hot air can escape. When the blender's running, take off the lid and carefully pour all the soup into the blender, and blend until perfectly smooth. You can add diced tomatoes at this point, or pour the soup back into the pot and add the tomatoes if you want them in chunks. My soup's a big orange because I added some tomato liquid for flavor. Salt and pepper more to taste, and you're done! If your soup is too thick, add a little water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock.