Snow Day!

So far we have somewhere between 4 and 8 inches of snow here in Baltimore, depending on where you measure. But I'm all for snow. The city looks so much better and peaceful under a thick coat of the fluffy stuff. And when things get nice and quiet (Baltimore pretty much shuts down in the snow), there is not a whole lot to do except make some food. So I decided to make a simple soup featuring some green beans that were sort of on their last legs. This is actually a pretty quick soup to make, depending on whether or not you have some vegetable stock on hand (like i had).

2 quarts homemade vegetable stock
1 lbs green beans, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried herbs de provence
salt and white pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat vegetable stock to a slow simmer. In a large skillet, heat butter and gently saute the green beans with the lemon juice and herbs de provence. When just tender, remove the beans from the heat. Place green beans in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the mixture to the stock, along with the cream, and stir to combine. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. When done, get outside and shovel!
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