Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary

It’s not even close to soup weather here. Not. Even. Sure, the temps have been better lately. I even opened my balcony door this morning and let the cooler, fresh air come in while I ate breakfast. But that was at 6:00 a.m. It was 90 degrees by 3:00 p.m. But that’s better than 115 degrees, so I’ll take it.

But nothing else will do when you’ve got a soup craving. When you want soup, you want soup. And you’ll want this soup. It was so easy to make. Pair it with a grilled cheese or some Parmesan toasts and you’ve got a great (gee, I wish it really was) fall meal!

Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary
from Giada DeLaurentiis, Giada’s Kitchen
printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients:
2 TBSP butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
3 c. chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 tsp., minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c. Greek yogurt (Giada uses creme fraiche)
zest of one lemon
additional rosemary and lemon zest, for garnish

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

3. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a regular blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

4. In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3 cup Greek yogurt.

5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary yogurt. garnish with a small amount of additional lemon zest and rosemary, if desired. Serve immediately.