Serves 4 to 6

This soup was inspired by Caroline Pacheco who was in search of it . It is not a traditional recipe but a contemporary soup that can be elegant for a first course or a simple soup for whenever you wish, served with olives and bread.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or scallions
• 2/3 pound (12 ounces) linguiça, casing removed
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
• 2 cups water
• One 1-pound can white kidney beans, undrained**
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup light cream
• finely chopped parsley, scallions or cilantro for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced linguiça, sautéed(for garnish)

*Note: If you have the time, use dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked separately in fresh, unsalted water for 45 minutes. Red kidney beans can be substituted as well.

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart soup pan. Add the onions and sauté until lightly golden.
2. Break up the linguiça into pieces. Reserving about 4 tablespoons of the sausage, toss the rest into the onions.
3. Cook the sausage and onions until the sausage takes on some color. Mix in the garlic, tomato paste and the wine if using. Simmer 1 minute.
4. Pour in the water along with the beans and their liquid. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt if needed. Remove from the heat.
5. Using a stick blender, regular blender, food mill or food processor, puree the soup. (A Stick blender allows you to do so right in the pot.
6. Cook the slices of linguiça for garnish. Just before serving, quickly whisk in the cream. Ladle the soup into soup plates and garnish with the slices of linguiça, and finely chopped parsley, scallions, or cilantro.
7. TO SERVE as an elegant first course for special occasion, before adding the cream, pass the pureed soup through a fine strainer or sieve, working it through. Then return to the stove to keep warm. Add the cream just before serving and garnish as in step 6.