White Bean and Roasted Mushroom Soup

By MJH

Ingredients

• 16 oz. mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 2 large sweet onions, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 8-10 fresh sage leaves*
• 8-10 stems + 1 tablespoon leaves fresh thyme*, divided
• 48 oz. chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted for a vegetarian version)
• 3 - 15 oz. cans white beans, not drained (I prefer cannellini beans)
• Additional salt and pepper for seasoning

Details

Adapted from shewearsmanyhats.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss mushrooms, garlic and onion in olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You may want to keep mushrooms separate on baking sheet for roasting, because you'll have to separate later. So, separate now, or later.)
Spread on baking sheet.
Add sage leaves and stems of thyme.
Roast in 450° F oven for 10 minutes, toss and roast for additional 15 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, add broth, beans, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves to a large stock pot over medium heat and simmer.

When vegetables are done roasting, let cool slightly.
Separate mushrooms from other roasted vegetables (if not already separated).

Retrieve 2 cups of the white beans, and 1 cup of broth from the stock pot, add to a blender along with the roasted onions, garlic and herbs.
Cover and blend until smooth.

Add pureed bean mixture back to stock pot, whisking in until smooth.
Add roasted mushrooms to soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Warm over low heat until ready to serve.