Winter White Bean Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups carrots, rinsed, peeled and sliced to 1/4-inch thickness
• 1 1/2 cups sweet onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups celery, rinsed and sliced to 1/4-inch thickness
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
• 4 cups prepared vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves and stems
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and dried

Preheat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add carrots, onion and celery, and sauté 10 minutes or until the vegetables are starting to soften. Stir in garlic and sauté 1 minute more.

Add vegetable broth, water, thyme, bay leaf and black pepper, stir, cover the pot, and raise the heat to high. When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently 1 hour, or until the vegetables are knife-tender. Stir in the beans, and heat until they are cooked through.

Place a small handful of fresh spinach in the bottom of each soup bowl, ladle in the hot soup, and serve.

Cook's Note: For a richer flavor, simmer the soup (minus the beans) for several hours, stirring occasionally. Shortly before serving, add the beans, heat until they are cooked through, and serve as above.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings