Creamy Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 Lb Dried great northern, navy or black beans
8 C Water
3 Tbs Extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 Cloves garlic; 1 smashed, 2 chopped
1 Lg Onion, chopped
1 Lg Carrot, chopped
1 Lg Celery stalk, chopped
4 C Chicken or vegetable broth
¼ C Cream
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
Chopped red pepper and chopped scallion
Instructions:
1. Place beans in a large stock pot. Add enough water to cover beans by about 4 inches and soak overnight.
2. Drain and rinse beans and return to pot. Add 8 C water, 1 Tbs oil, smashed garlic and Tolucan Chorizo spice. Bring to boil, turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ hours or until tender.
3. Drain beans and reserve cooking liquid. In a large pot, sauté onion, carrots and celery in 2 Tbs oil until tender, about 10 min.
4. Add chopped garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
5. Add in beans, reserved cooking liquid and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer on low heat for another 25 minutes.
6. Cool soup 10 minutes; Scoop out 1 ½ C bean mixture and set aside.
7. In small batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth.
8. Return purée to pot, add beans back in along with cream and salt to taste.
9. Serve with chopped red pepper and scallion as garnish.