Creamy Truffle-Scented White Bean Soup

What's interesting about this recipe for vegans is that the word 'creamy' in the title doesn't refer to a dairy product at all, even in the original version! It's pureeing the beans that makes the soup 'creamy'.

The other ingredient in the title - truffles - are truly one of the priciest foods out there - $55 per one-ounce jar of black truffles, $45 for a one-ounce jar of the white variety, according to various internet sources I checked out. I've heard of them selling for over a hundred dollars per ounce in seasons with poor yields! But if you want the delicious taste of truffles without all that expense, a small vial of truffle oil - such as this recipe calls for - is a great alternative. Although higher priced than other oils - olive, canola etc. - truffle oil has a strong taste, so a little goes a long way. That one vial will last you quite some time! I bought mine a little while back for about $14. But as you can see, it's only about as tall as my cell phone :)



For the soup tonight, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add one cup chopped onion and saute 2 minutes. Add one tablespoon bottled minced garlic and 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and saute another 2 minutes. Finally, add a teaspoon and a half of chopped fresh rosemary; saute a final 30 seconds.

Add 2 cups vegetable broth and 2 (19-ounce) cans of cannellini beans (rinsed and drained). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in two tablespoons lemon juice and let stand five minutes.

The recipe called to blend this in a blender in two batches. It was when I went to fetch my blender from the cupboard that I remembered I'm currently using it as a vase for some beautiful flowers my boyfriend brought home the other day. (It's the only vase-shaped vessel I have that was big enough for the bouquet!) So in a pinch, I used my hand blender, which I'm happy to report worked just as well in making this soup smooth and creamy.

Ladle one cup of soup into each of four bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/4 tsp. of truffle oil (remember: a little goes a long way). Each serving is 230 calories.

Cost:
rosemary $2.99
broth $2.69
cannellini beans $2.37