I made this for an après-ski menu on Everyday Italian. It is quite hearty and the beans give it nice body without making it too thick. The whipped cream garnish is beautiful and becomes even more fragrant as it slowly melts into the soup.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 onion, peeled and chopped

　　2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

　　2 garlic cloves, chopped

　　1 (15-ounce) can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed

　　1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

　　3 cups chicken broth

　　1 bay leaf

　　2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

　　1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2/3 cup heavy cream

　　Zest of 1 lemon

　　

Step 1

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, and the red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

　　

Step 2

Purée the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to the soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and the remaining tea spoon of rosemary. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon-rosemary whipped cream. Serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.