I started with the recipe for Tuscan White Bean Soup from The Six O’Clock Scramble: Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families but modified it in a few ways.

First, I had turkey broth rather than chicken, used dried basil rather than fresh, and used one can of cannellini beans and one can of butter beans because that’s what I had in the pantry. I also had croutons I’d made previously and stashed the extra in the freezer, so I just thawed those and crisped them up in the oven for a few minutes.

2 Tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 15 oz cans of white beans (cannelini, small white, butter, etc.)
2 cups homemade turkey or chicken broth (or 1 15 oz can of store bought chicken or vegetable broth)
2 Tbs sherry (recipe says optional, I think it’s key)
croutons
grated Parmesan (a spoonful per bowl)

Make the croutons if you need to. Just cut a few slices of French or Italian bread into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with some olive oil, salt and seasonings, then bake at 450 F for 5 minutes or so. (Watch them!)

Heat the oil in your dutch oven or soup pot, and cook the onions and garlic about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the beans and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender, like the Cuisinart SmartStick Hand Blender CSB-76, to blend the beans, leaving as chunky as you’d like.

Stir in the sherry and basil (I used dried but I do think fresh would be better).

Put a servings worth in a bowl, add a bit of grated Parmesan, and a few croutons.

Mmmmm!