Tuscan Bean Soup (with Roasted Peppers)

I had a random can of cannellini beans in the pantry and did not want to make bean dip so I thought I'd get creative. I searched for soup recipes but nothing really peaked my interest, so I just decided to throw my favorite flavors in the pot and see what comes out in the end.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14 oz) can of fat free, low sodium chicken broth*
2 cloves of garlic, roasted
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red bell pepper, roasted (about 5-6 strips)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped

*To make as a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth.




Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they start to get translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan; slowly add the rest of the broth. Stir in garlic paste from roasted garlic cloves. Add beans, peppers, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Ladle half the mixture into a blender and puree until you reach your desired texture. Carefully transfer hot liquid to another pot. Repeat process with 2nd half of soup mixture. **Always be very careful when transferring and pureeing extremely hot substances. It is safest to do this process in small batches.**

Return completed pureed batch to stove and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in fresh basil leaves right before serving and serve with a crusty bread.

Yields 4 half-cup servings.

WW info:
Core-all included
Flex-2 points per serving