Here in Southern California, the winter days are surprisingly chilly! We are in the high desert where I quickly learned that we get the "extreme weather" of SoCal, meaning our summers are hot and our winters are cold. Southern Californians do not know what cold is compared to the Midwest winters we recently left behind. Even so, I am cold so I still look forward to finding recipes that can warm my veins.
This soup comes from one of Giada De Laurentiis' cookbooks, Giada's Kitchen. If you make this, do not expect a smooth tomato soup as this one is more gritty, but in a good way. The beans thicken it up and the red pepper flakes give it a welcoming spiciness. Next time I will likely cut down on the rosemary and maybe add some cheese. Giada serves each bowl with a garnish of lemon and rosemary whipped cream, that I didn't especially like. I'll include it in the recipe below, and it is pictured above, but I will leave it off my soup in the future. And, Judah? He ate this right up!
On another (way off the side) note, did anyone watch the Bears vs Seahawks game yesterday? It sure looked like the crazy shirtless fans could've used some of this soup to warm them up! Judah wore his Bears shirt to church and we had to record the game (since it started and ended by the time we got home) but we are super excited for next week's game! We can't believe how close they are in getting to the Super Bowl! Woot! 🙂 I'm curious, who of my readers are Bears fans??
Hearty Tomato Soup
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
For the soup:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ to 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the optional whipped cream garnish:
â…” cup heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. Sauté the onion, carrots and garlic until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, ½ to 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, and the red pepper flakes. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using a blender or food processor, purée the soup in batches. Return soup to the pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Optional Whipped Cream Topping: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and rosemary. Dollop onto each bowl of soup. Serve immediately.
Source: Giada's Kitchen by Giada De Laurentiis
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