Soup and Salad

I have been a bit busy and preoccupied with summer life. I live in a beautiful place and try to take advantage of it as much as I can. I am in the process just now of making a white bean and rosemary soup that will last a few days. Plenty of salad fixings to go with it.

Here's what I did: I soaked small white beans (1 cup) over night, drained and rinsed them, added chicken stock about an inch over the top. A large sprig of rosemary, a medium chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. I like it when bean soups cook over low heat for a long time so I have been cooking it for about an hour and a half and may cook for another hour - the beans in this soup will be very mushy. Then I'll puree half of it in the blender to get a mixture of a smooth and chunky texture. And I will make sure to take the sprig out before I do this! Salt and pepper to taste at this point and a handful of crumbled bacon on top and that's dinner. Also, a salad of greens and tomatoes with lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper. The house smells wonderful!!!!