Marcelle Hazan White Bean Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if canned

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup homemade beef broth or 1/3 cup canned beef stock diluted with 2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Toasted thick slices of crusty bread

Directions

Put the oil and garlic in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the garlic is a pale gold. Add the beans and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Transfer 1/2 cup of the beans to a food mill, add the broth and puree back into the pan. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. swirl in the parsley. Ladle the soup over the toasted bread and serve.