White Bean Rosemary Soup with Jumbo Croutons & Fresh Basil

White Bean Soup (in foreground)

Recipe is from eat, drink & vegan. wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free

This soup is captivating, with olive-oil drizzled croutons that soften slowly into a mellow, rosemary infused soup. 

1/2 - 1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 - 1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups cooked white kidney (cannellini) beans (see note)
3 cups vegetable stock (I use Harvest Sun brand)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp fresh rosemary, Chopped
2 - 2 1/2 tbsp lemon Juice
1 batch "Jumbo Croutons" (p.82, or below)
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced in thin strips or chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil (for finishing, optional)

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, garlic, dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 4 cups beans, stock, water, and 1 1/2 tsp rosemary, and increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. With a hand blender, puree soup until smooth. Stir in remaining 2 cups beans, remaining 1/2 tsp rosemary, and lemon juice. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Sirve in individual bowls, topped with a handful of Jumbo Croutons, sprinkle of fresh basil, and drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serves 5 - 6.

Note: Since this soup uses a lot of beans, I prefer cooking the white beans from dried rather than canned because they taste fresher, but certainly canned work fine too.

Jumbo Croutons (gluten-free option)
5-6 slices bread (can use artisan, multigrain, kamut, spelt, or use gluten-free for that option)
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut bread slices into 1 inch squares.  In a large bowl, toss cubes with oil.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and transfer bread onto sheet, then sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 9-12 minutes, tossing once or twice throughout, until lightly browned.  For crunchier croutons, bake for 2-3 minutes longer.