White Bean Soup

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup chopped pancetta (omit if you’re doing a vegetarian version)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
(3) 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans, drained  
5 cups Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth (or homemade vegetable stock if you have it!)
3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a 3-1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 T of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about five minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about eight minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the cannellini beans, broth and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about ten minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Serve the soup warm.

This is wonderful served with a crusty bread or baguette along with a Roasted Red Pepper Tapanade. If using, brush the baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Toast the bread, turning once, until nicely grill-marked, about two minutes per side. Set aside.

Adapted from Williams Sonoma.