Winter White Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, minced
• 1/3 small head cauliflower, chopped
• 10 small button mushrooms, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 small parsnip, chopped
• 1 pear – peeled, cored and diced
• 0.5 cup cannellini beans
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 0.75 cup Chardonnay wine
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 0.25 cup fat-free chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in garlic, shallots, and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, mushrooms, green onions, and parsnip; cook and stir for an additional 5 minutes. Add pear, beans, dill, and mustard; stir just until heated through, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in wine and thyme; increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer until wine is reduced by half and is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth; return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Allow soup to cool slightly.
3. Fill a blender halfway with soup. Cover and hold the lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with remaining soup.
4. Stir in cream and, if needed, thin with additional chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper; serve hot.