Tuscan White Bean Soup with Garlic

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 chopped shallots
• 1 sage leaf
• 2 x 425g cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 4 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic, cut in half
• 0.5 cups cream
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices of ciabatta
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place the soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl.
2. Carefully pour 1/3–1/2 cup of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure the lid is tightly closed. Pour the soup back into the saucepan. Blend the remaining soup in the blender. Once all the soup has been pureed and returned to the saucepan, add the cream and pepper and keep warm, covered, over very low heat.
3. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the ciabatta slices with olive oil. Toast the bread until heated through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the soup with the toasted bread.