A festive seasonal soup in appetizer form perfect for any party. Easily adapted to vegan and so delicious either way!
Servings: Approximately 18 appetizer shooters
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 pieces prosciutto, diced (or omit) for vegan version
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on bread
- 2 shallots, chopped 2
- 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary stripped and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 /4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cream (or can substitute regular or vegan cream cheese)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Approximately 18 shot glasses for serving
For the Croutons:
- 3 slices crusty bread, toasted
- 1 clove garlic, peeled left whole
- 2 ounces herb or regular goat cheese, at room temperature so it’s spreadable
Directions:
Spinach Pesto for Spring Gnocchi Salad:
- 1 bunch fresh basil, approximately 1 cup packed
- 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more if needed to thin pesto
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp or a few grinds of black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese or substitute a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast to keep it vegan.
- Kosher salt & pepper
Directions:
Cook the prosciutto slices in a medium saucepan over medium heat until lightly crisp. Then set aside until cool and crumble. (Skip step if making vegan version) Add the olive oil, shallots and crushed pepper flakes and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the beans, rosemary, garlic and broth, bring to a simmer and cook 15 more minutes. Turn heat to low and purée the soup carefully using an immersion blender. Add the mascarpone cream (or alternative cheeses), cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
To make the croutons, rub the toasted bread slices with a peeled garlic clove, drizzle generously olive oil, smear with goat cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cut into 3/4-inch croutons. To serve, ladle the soup through a funnel into shot glasses, top with goat cheese croutons and sprinkle with prosciutto crumbles, if using.
Enjoy this recipe or have questions? Feel free to leave a comment!
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