Tuscan White Bean Soup

 
Yes - I'm aware that it's spring time. However, I had an unfathomable amount of vegetable broth taking up my freezer space and know the best way to free up that space is by making SOUP! Tuscan White Bean Soup is one of my faves. It has a light broth, flavorful (yet healthy) ingredients and just so happens to be a great accompaniment to that half sandwich at lunch. Turn your burners up for a souper dish! (See what I did there?)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, diced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon parlsey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cans white beans (I used Northern White)
2 bay leaves
4-6 cups vegetable broth
3-4 cups fresh spinach
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

Heat up your olive oil in a medium stock pot on medium-high. Once ripples appear in the oil, add your onions and saute until soft for about 5 minutes. (Ripples in the oil will let you know that it's time to throw in your ingredients - if you hear a hiss, you're on point!) Add basil, oregano, sage, parsley, red pepper flakes and garlic to the onions and cook for a minute or two more. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper while you wait.

Toss your tomatoes and beans into the pot. Let them cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the beans soften. Add your bay leaves and vegetable broth at this time. Turn the heat down to medium and let the flavors mesh for about 10-15 minutes.

Once the flavors have combined, add your spinach and give it a good stir. You want to add the spinach last because it wilts very quickly and will lose it's vibrant color if left in the heat too long.

Finish off your soup with the squeeze of a lemon (or 2, if you're really into lemon) and season with salt and pepper. If you're feeling fancy, add a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese over your soup as a garnish, once plated.

Kitchen Talk:
On a whim, I found a piece of Parmesan in my fridge and decided to cut the rind off and add it to my soup for more flavor. I did this around the time I added the broth. Also, you may have noticed the pretty, red broth. This was a happy accident after I added beet greens and stalks to my vegetable broth mix. I was pleasantly surprised with the beautiful color!

Now you know, enjoy!