Passato di Fagioli (Puréed White Bean Soup)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

60g Pancetta (Whole piece)
1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
5 cups Chicken Broth
2 Fresh Sage Leaves, Chopped
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 ½ tbsp. Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. To prepare the beans, heat one tbsp. olive oil in a pan and warm garlic over medium heat. Add beans, rosemary, and sage and heat beans thoroughly and until beans have softened. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. To make the soup, warm olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about three minutes. Add the sage and pancetta and cook until pancetta is golden, about seven minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Remove the cooked pancetta and discard. Reduce heat to low, stirring in the tomatoes. Let simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove the herb sprigs from the cooked beans and discard. In batches, purée the beans in a blender. Use a much or as little of the reserved liquid the beans came in to help the blending process. Pour the blended bean mixture into a large soup pot. Blend the tomato mixture and pour into the same pot as the bean mixture. Stir in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprig and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soup has thickened and the flavours are well blended, about 20 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig. Serve in bowl and garnish with parsley.