"White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons" from Cook's Country Magazine (Jan 2010)

Recipe Review .."White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons"

I wanted to try to make something different.  I came across a recipe in my Cook's Country Magazine that sounded interesting, "White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons".  It has been really cold here in North Carolina so a hearty hot soup sounded like just the thing we needed to warm us up.  Here is the picture that I found in the magazine that enticed me to give it a try...

Looks good.  But you know me
I had to cheat a bit....
let's start with their official recipe....

White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons

Serves 4

You can substitute Great Northern beans for the cannellini beans in this soup.

4	(1-inch) slices  Italian bread , cut into 1-inch squares
1/4	cup extra virgin olive oil
3	garlic cloves , minced
1	teaspoon  minced fresh rosemary
	Salt and pepper
4	(16-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see note)
2 1/4	cups low sodium chicken broth
6	slices bacon , chopped
1	onion , chopped fine
1	tablespoon  lemon juice

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine bread, 3 tablespoons oil, half of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in large bowl and toss to coat. Transfer bread to rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, process 1 1/2 cups beans and 1/4 cup broth in food processor until smooth. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Cook onion in bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining broth, pureed bean mixture, remaining beans, and remaining rosemary and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining oil and sprinkle with bacon. Serve with croutons.

I read the recipe and gathered my ingredients....(with notes on how I cheated:-)

I didn't make croutons,
and my chicken broth was
not low sodium.
I added pre-cooked chicken to my soup.

Fun with the food processor.
Fast and easy:-)

Yum, bean soup.
I did use a bit more
broth then they called for.
I also cooked my bacon
and onions in a different
pan.

Instead of homemade
croutons you can see
the round of bread on the
right, we used that instead.

Bacon sprinkled on top.

When you can't make the Rosemary Croutons,  Rosemary Olive Oil Bread is the next best thing:-)

I would have to give this recipe a 8/10 on my
cooking scale.  I would make it again.

Happy Cooking Everyone!

Enjoy your world:-)