The cool weather is coming and soup season will soon be here! I love soup for so many reasons. It’s not only good for the soul but research actually shows that eating a small bowl of healthy vegetable soup like this one, will actually make you feel fuller and help you eat less overall. That’s good news for many who are trying to slim down and take control of their calorie intake.
Making croutons for soup instead of serving bread is also a great way to cut back on calories. Homemade croutons are way better than store bought because you can control the amount of salt and seasonings you add to them. Best of all you don’t have to worry about any nasty preservatives and artificial ingredients of packaged brands. For these croutons I bought a simple loaf of rosemary-infused bread that I cut up and toasted in the oven (a extra few minutes of work well worth it!) If you can’t find an herb infused bread, it’s just as easy to sprinkle some dried rosemary and olive oil on plain bread before you toast it.
With a few simple ingredients, you can make this hearty soup packed with antioxidants from the vegetables and protein from the beans. I puree it all together using an immersion blender, which is actually one of my favorite kitchen tools. The blender is added directly to the pot and that means less mess and less to clean up. Once pureed the soup becomes thick and rich with a consistency that pairs so nicely with the crunchy croutons. Add a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream to bring it all together. Serve with a mixed green salad and you have yourself one incredibly healthy and satisfying meal!
- 28 oz. (BPA free) can or carton of chopped tomatoes {recommend Pomi brand tomatoes}
- 15oz. (BPA free) can or carton of cannellini beans
- 1 small loaf crusty bread (rosemary infused or plain) sliced into 1-2 in. cubes
- 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion diced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sour cream
- kosher salt
- pepper
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Heat the 2 tbsp of the oil in a medium size dutch oven or pot.
- Add onion, carrots, dash of salt and pepper and sauté for 5 min until soft but not brown.
- Add in the tomatoes, beans, broth and stir.
- Bring soup to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer bread cubes to the pan and toss with remaining oil and bake for about 15 min until golden brown.
- Using an immersion blender or regular blender, carefully puree cooked soup until smooth.
- Serve with Rosemary Croutons and dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
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