Rustic Tomato Soup with Cannelini Beans

Every dish has a story. This one began with a cool fall evening and 2 tired souls!


Soup is perfect for a cold, fall evening. This one was a meal-in-a-pot and very hearty served up with warm crusty bread and a splash of good olive oil. (I used some lemon infused olive oil)

Serves 4
Preparation time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
4 large tomatoes, chopped roughly (or a large can of tomatoes- crushed or diced)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow squash, diced
1 can cannellini or pinto beans, rinsed
2 cups broth
1/2 cup milk (for vegan option, use almond milk)
*1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (and extra for garnish)

1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika (or to taste)
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

Salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, garnish

Method

Heat a heavy pot on medium with the olive oil
Add the onions and garlic, saute until soft
Add the coriander powder, paprika and red pepper and stir until fragrant
Add the squash, tomatoes and basil. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are squishy

Turn off the heat and use a hand blender to puree the vegetables roughly. (For a more rustic soup, don't puree until completely smooth) If you don't have a hand blender, transfer to a regular blender and pulse a couple times until desired consistency is achieved.
Transfer mixture back to the pot, add the broth and cook on medium heat
Whisk the flour and milk in a small bowl and slowly whisk this mixture into the soup. Whisk until you see no floury lumps
Season with salt to taste
Add the beans to the soup
Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally for about 5-10 minutes (this is to allow the soup to thicken and cook the flour)
Turn off the heat and add the rosemary to the hot soup just before serving

Serve with fresh cracked pepper, rosemary leaves or a chiffonade of basil and a splash of good olive oil. This soup tastes amazing with a side of warm, crusty bread.

* The flour and milk mixture is equivalent to adding cream to the soup. It does the same thing- thicken the soup. I used flour and milk as a healthier alternative. You could also try using coconut milk instead (1/2 cup) But remember to cook on low heat after adding the coconut milk, else the soup will separate.