The key to the flavor is a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil drizzled over each bowl of soup before serving. For added pizazz, top each bowl with minced basil or mint.
TUSCAN BEAN SOUP
Makes 4 servings
1 14.5-ounce can plum tomatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup ditalini or elbow macaroni
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Drain and crush the tomatoes. heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a 3-quart soup pot. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and the rosemary and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer half the soup to a food processor and puree. Return the puree to the soup and bring back to a boil. Add the pasta and the salt; simmer until the pasta is just tender, about 10 minutes. To serve, drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil over each bowl of soup and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Alternatively, let the soup stand for 1 hour to allow flavors to meld, then reheat.
Ann Heller became the first restaurant critic for The Journal Herald in 1975 and added writing food stories for that paper in 1977. The Journal was merged with the Dayton Daily News, where she remained restaurant critic and food editor until 2006. During that time, she tested and shared hundreds upon hundreds of recipes with our readers. Now we want to share them with a new generation every week on our subscriber website, MyDaytonDailyNews.com.
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