Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup

This soup is absolutely wonderful. It is full of flavor from the roasted garlic, plus it is quick and easy--remember the beans are already cooked in the freezer!

Ingredients

• 2 cans or 2 pkgs of your frozen white beans
• 2 T olive oil, plus some for brushing garlic
• 12 cloves garlic, approximately 1 bulb or head of garlic
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped
• 1 large sprig rosemary, chopped
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme
• 5 cups water or broth
• salt, to taste
• parsley and red pepper flakes, to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the beans if using dried.

2. Break apart (but don't peel) the garlic. Brush with olive oil and roast in an oven or over a stove until black. Remove cloves from the skins, and set aside.

3. Combine onion, carrots, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, water and cooked beans in a large pot. Bring to boil, and cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Add cooked beans, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

5. Remove soup from heat. Using a standard blender or an immersion blender, puree 2/3 of your soup along with the garlic cloves.

6. Combine blended portion with chunky portion and salt to taste.

7. Garnish with parsley and red pepper, if desired, and serve.

You can also freeze this soup. A tip I heard recently is to line your soup bowls with plastic wrap and put a serving of soup in the bowl. Put in the freezer until frozen, then pop out the frozen soup and wrap completely with the plastic wrap. You could also freeze in reusable plastic containers. Enjoy!