Step 1

Heat the olive oil and crushed garlic together in a large pot over medium low heat.

Step 2

When the garlic begins to smell fragrant and turns lightly blonde, add the bay leaves.

Step 3

Stir in the onions and celery along with a generous pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Saute until the onions turn soft, about three to four minutes. Don't let them brown.

Step 4

Stir in the rosemary.

Step 5

Add the white beans with 2 cups of cooking stock (if you cooked the beans yourself) or water or vegetable stock. Mix well, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Step 6

At this point, you can remove a cup of the soup to a blender and blend it into a smooth puree before returning it to the pot. This step is optional but it makes a really creamy soup. You can also just mash a few beans in the pot with a ladle.

Step 7

Add another cup of water or vegetable stock if the soup looks too thick. You can make this as soupy or stewy as you wish.

Step 8

Add salt and pepper as needed. Turn off heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Garnish with parsley and serve.