Heirloom Bean & Artichoke Soup

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut the top off the head of garlic and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until browned and tender.

Remove garlic from oven and remove cloves. Place both the beans and the garlic in a pot and fill with water until they are covered by about 2 to 3 inches.

Bring the soup and garlic to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the beans are tender, about 2-4 hours depending on the age of your beans. Add a pinch of salt just before the beans are done then remove about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the beans out of the soup and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and saute until golden brown and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.

Combine beans (that you removed), artichoke hearts, onions, and vegetable broth in the blender and pulse till thoroughly combined.

Add the pureed mixture back to the soup then add a bit more salt, and some pepper to taste. Add vinegar then cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Drizzle each serving with olive oil, and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from Anna Thomas’ Love Soup.)