This soup is like green velvet. Greener than velvet is this soup. Ahem. This soup is made with a base of pecan tarator sauce. That’s what makes it smoooooth, and that’s what gives it a wonderful depth of flavor. I used butter to make this, but if you used olive oil instead it would be vegan, and yet so mysteriously creamy! I made croutons from the same whole grain bread that’s in the tarator sauce. I cut it into rough cubes, fried them for a few minutes in olive oil, and dusted them with basil and black pepper.

Here’s Bobby Vinton’s Blue Velvet because it’s stuck in my head now!

2 T butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove of garlic – finely diced
1 t. basil
1 t. rosemary
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 15 oz can of small white beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz spinach washed and roughly chopped
2 + cups vegetable broth
1 t. balsamic
dollop of butter
1/2 cup pecan tarator sauce

Warm the butter in a large soup pot. Add the shallots, cook for a minute or two. Add the garlic and the herbs. When things start to brown add the wine. Cook till it’s thick and syrupy. Add the beans. Stir and heat through. Stir in the tarator sauce. Add the spinach, and cook till it’s wilted and bright green. Stir in the broth. Cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. Add the balsamic and a dollop of butter. Blend or process in batches till it’s very very smooth.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve with toasted wholegrain croutons, if you like.