Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup with Chimichurri

1. Prep

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice off the top quarter of the whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast in the oven until cloves are soft and golden, about 40 minutes. Once cool, squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and set aside. While the garlic is roasting, finely dice the shallot, chop the herbs, and zest the lemon. Set aside.

2. Sweat Aromatics

In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and chili flakes, and cook until the shallot becomes translucent, giving visual cues that it's ready, usually about 3-4 minutes.

3. Caramelize Paste

Incorporate the roasted garlic paste into the pot with the shallots, stirring it for about 1 minute to release its flavors.

4. Add Cooking Liquid

Pour in the white wine, allowing it to reduce slightly, which concentrates the flavors, for about 2 minutes. Add the white beans and crush them slightly to help thicken the soup, then add the stock, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the beans are heated through and the flavors meld, approximately 20 minutes. As the soup simmers, season with a pinch of salt.

5. Make Chimichurri

While the soup simmers, prepare the chimichurri by blending together the parsley, oregano leaves, dill, chives, thyme, garlic, shallot, anchovy, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Finishing Ingredients

Once the beans are warmed through and the soup is flavorful add salt to taste and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve the soup hot, garnished with a generous dollop of chimichurri and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.