tuscan vegetable soup with cannellini beans and rosemary

The snow is still here.  Heaps of cement-hard snow, topped with fanciful icing, after the snow turned to sleet and then everything froze.  What do I expect?  It's February.  This is normal, and so is the cabin fever-want-to-go-to-Florida gloom.  It's been a very cold winter, and waking up to 5 degrees most mornings is a little disheartening.  

But, I have one of my baby geraniums beside the bed, and it is budding, so that will do.

I have been longing for my Tuscan Tomato soup, but very suddenly have to gear down eating anything too spicy or acid - a side effect after the pneumonia I got in the fall.  The winter has addled my brain, because only today did I think of adding more vegetables, less tomatoes, and no hot sauce.  But lots of rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and basil!  A little butter and a spoonful of sour cream topped the second bowlful, and now I'm happy:)

To make about 3 big bowls of soup:

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 T. unsalted or salted butter

1 t. olive oil

1/2 cup peeled carrots, cut on a slant

3/4 c. sliced celery

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces, with some

   of the juices

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 t. thyme

1 t. basil

1/2 t. kosher salt

4 sprigs rosemary

1/2 t. tarragon

Place the olive oil and butter in the stockpot.  Add the onion and cook five minuts, then add the celery and carrots, the stock, the tomatoes, and the herbs and salt.  Simmer for 25 minutes, then add the cannellini beans and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream or curls of parmesan, or a nice thick chunk of good bread with butter.