Ellington

My first taste of this soothing, buttery smooth soup drizzled with white truffle oil was in Provence, France. It was love at first taste. I was surprised to find it at a French restaurant in the middle of Sante Fe, N.M., several years later. Obviously, I was delighted when I saw it later on the menu at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta, Ga., since that was very close to where I was living at the time.

When that restaurant offered a cooking class, I jumped at the chance and knew it was fate when one of the recipes they gave us was this lovely soup. Brasserie Le Coze, sadly, had to close its doors due to the expansion of the Neiman Marcus store next door, but I'll always have a taste of it to savor—and now, so will you.

This seemingly humble soup has a depth of flavor that will have you sighing in content. Mirepoix (pronounced meer-PWAH) is a traditional mixture of onion, carrots and celery used as a base in a variety of savory French dishes. It is similar to the "holy trinity" of onions, celery, and bell pepper used in Cajun and Creole cooking.

Puree of White Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 ounces bacon, diced

1 large onion, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced (no leaves)

8-10 pressed garlic cloves (to preference)

4 cups soaked white navy beans (for reference, 16 ounces dried equals 5 cups soaked)

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock (depending on bean texture)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream

Olive oil

Truffle oil

Salt and white pepper

Optional Toppings

Croutons: Toss fresh bread pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast until crisp.

Sweet green pepper, finely diced

Scallions, finely diced

Directions

In a stockpot, cook diced bacon slowly to render out fat. Discard bacon grease. Add mirepoix (diced onions, carrots and celery) along with a few turns of olive oil around the pan. Saute until tender. Add garlic at end of the saute to prevent burning.

Next, add beans, stock and fresh thyme, being sure to add enough stock to cover about three inches above the beans. Cook over medium heat until beans are very tender. Add heavy cream and puree with bean mixture in a blender, food processor or with a hand mixer until smooth, using cream and stock to adjust consistency as you go. Season a little at a time with kosher salt and white pepper.

Sprinkle white truffle oil over each bowl. Makes 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) finished soup.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Truffle oil comes from the truffle, a type of fungus often used in cooking.

• The white truffle is found in places such as Italy, France and Slovenia.

• The white truffle is the most expensive type; in 2009, vendors sold them for more than $14,000.

• You can find different species of truffles in the U.S., generally around the Pacific Northwest.