Garlic and White Bean Soup

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About Garlic:

  • Garlic is a member of the lily or Allium family, which also includes onions and leeks. 
  • With their unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients, allium vegetables belong in our diet on a regular basis.

Nutrient profile:

  • Sulfur
  • Manganese
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin C
  • Copper
  • Selenium
  • Phosphorus
  • Vitamin B1
  • Calcium

Health Benefits:

  • Cardiovascular benefits
  • Anti-inflammatory benefits
  • Antibacterial and antiviral benefits
  • Anti-cancer properties

Selection and storage:

  • For maximum flavor and nutritional benefits, always purchase fresh garlic
  • Whole garlic bulbs will keep fresh for about a month if stored properly 
  • Once you break the head of garlic, it greatly reduces its shelf life to just a few days
  • Garlic in flake, powder, or paste form may be more convenient however you will derive less culinary and health benefits from these forms

Cooking tip:

  • Increase health benefits by letting garlic sit for at least 5 minutes after you've chopped it or crushed it. This boosts the benefits of the enzymes it contains.
  • Try to add garlic towards the end of the cooking process to retain the maximum amount of flavor and nutrition
  • Try to expose garlic to heat for as little time as possible (at most 15 minutes) in order to assure the health benefits

Here’s a delicious recipe for you!

Ingredients

  • 16 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 cans of cannellini beans
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • ¾ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Place a soup pot over medium-low heat.  Add the olive oil and shallots.  Sautee until shallots are translucent. Add the garlic.  Sautee for a minute.  Add the sage and the cannellini beans.  Stir together for a minute.  Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add ½ cup of the parmesan cheese and transfer everything to a blender and blend until well combined.  Return everything to the pot and add the cream.  Stir together.  Pour into bowls and top each serving with the leftover parmesan cheese.

I truly hope you enjoy this recipe and that it helps you live a healthier life.  I would absolutely love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.  If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends and family!

Lots of love,

Judith

This year we have launched an exciting collaboration with Soul Food Salon.  Each week, we feature a delicious, seasonal, and nutritious ingredient.  We not only tell you a bit about it and all of the nutrition it represents, but also we provide you with a recipe so you can cook it at home.  Please share pictures of your meals on Instagram using the hashtag #SoulFoodSalon.  We can’t wait to learn and cook with you!