With just olive oil, garlic, beans, and broth, this simple soup is a wholesome, elegant dish best enjoyed with crusty bread.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if canned
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black 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, for serving
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, then add the puree back into the pan along with the broth. 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.
