4-5 Tab olive oil
4-5 onions, chopped (more if you wish for a thicker soup)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 – 1 whole head of garlic
2 cans cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans)
1 or 2 lemons (for juice) OR 2/3rd cup lemon juice
Roasted garlic (optional)
Bread
Vegan Parmesan, for topping (optional)
Balsamic vinegar, for topping (optional)
*
Heat olive oil in a large pot or pan.
When about medium heat, add a LOT of chopped onions and sautee til translucent.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add dried herb de provence, and continue to heat til onions start to brown. (I either smush the herbs between my fingers or crush with pistol and mortar to give it more flavor).
While cooking, crush garlic cloves with pestle and mortar. ( I use 1/2 to a whole garlic head. I like the trick where you lay the knife over the clove with the skin on it, and then pound it to get the skin loosened. Take the skin off, and then crush the cloves with the pistol and mortar. )
When onions become a deeper brown, and the herbs start to make everything smell great, add garlic. Turn heat down a little to make sure you don’t burn the garlic. (Burning the garlic will ruin the dish)
Meanwhile, drain and rinse 2 cans of cannellini beans.
Stick beans in food processor with enough lemon juice to make a thick but slightly liquid mixture -about 2/3rd cup of juice. If you have any roasted garlic, you can throw a little of that in too. Puree.
Boil some water.
Add small quantity of water to onion mixture. Stir, and add a little of the bean mixture to thicken up. Alternate adding water and beans until you get the creamy consistency you want.
On the side have some thick bread, garlic preferably. Maybe add a little vegan parmesan to the top of the bread and toast slightly in oven to brown the top.
Put bread in bowls, and ladle soup over bread. Top with a little balsamic if you like.
This soup is very filling with the bread. It can be a whole meal in itself or with a nice salad. Enjoy!
*I made this soup up mostly myself, but my initial inspiration came from Dino Sarma’s podcast for the Alternative Vegan.
