Hearty Tomato Soup

Holy Smokes, where does the time go?  I’ve been out of town and now that I am back (with piles and pile of laundry), it seems like the days are just flying by!

It is already Thursday again, and time for another meatless meal.  I actually had another post all ready for today when my dear, sweet husband reminded me that I needed to post something else.  What a great guy, always looking out for me!


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So, I have for you today a simple, robust tomato soup.  Growing up, I was never a huge fan of canned tomato soup (or tomatoes in general).  It only recently, that I am expanding my tastes to include tomatoes – in fact, tomatoes have even become a pantry staple as of late!

This Hearty Tomato Soup packs an extra punch with some herbs and spices.  Also in this soup are some pureed carrots and white beans.  These two additions do two things.  First off all, the beans make this a wonderfully filling meal.  Second, the beans and carrots cut the acidity of the tomatoes a bit.

My favorite part about this soup however, is that it relies on beans, not cream, for its thick creaminess (my other favorite part is that I finally got to use my new immersion blender—yay new toys!)  This is a great soup to pair with a simple grilled cheese sandwich.  I used my onion bread with a little Swiss cheese.  Fantastic!

Hearty Tomato Soup

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from Giada’s Kitchen

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

1 boy leaf

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

½ tsp red pepper flakes

¾ tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium high heat.  Sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic until tender, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 

Increase the temperature to high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup, taking care to keep the blades fully immersed to avoid splattering.  Alternately, let the soup cool off the heat for 30 minutes, then carefully puree the soup in a food processor or blender and reheat. 

Serve hot with toasted cheese sandwiches.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Enjoy!

Amy