Zingy Italian White Bean Soup

You will need to wash and soak the dried cannellini beans over night so plan ahead!  This recipe serves two people generously, so if you are making it for a crowd, increase the ingredients.  Start cooking the beans before you begin chopping the vegetables and they should be ready to go by the time you are ready to make the soup.

1 cup dried cannellini beans (white Italian kidney beans), soaked

1 unsalted vegetable bouillon cube

4 garlic cloves, minced

half a red onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 stalks of fresh fennel, or half a fennel bulb, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 bunch of fresh spinach, chopped

1 tsp oregano

4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

Directions:

1.  Drain the beans, then put them in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until al dente (this is after soaking overnight).

2.  In a large soup pot, dissolve the bouillon cube in 1/4 cup water over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion.  Cook, stirring constantly, until they sweat.  Add celery and fennel with a pinch of sea salt.  Allow the vegetables to heat through and soften.  Cover the vegetables with spring water, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

3.  Add zucchini, spinach, cooked beans, oregano, sage, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper.  Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is cooked, but not mushy.  Turn off the heat.  Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into the soup.  Adjust the seasonings to your liking and serve.  

From the book Forks over Knives