Cold Weather = More Soup

We got to enjoy two beautiful days here, where it hit 60 degrees and it was glorious. I took my little man on long walks and I was in a good mood to finally have some pleasant weather. Well, now this weekend temps are back to freezing with highs hardly hitting 40 degrees. So what do I do? I make soup. Ya'll know I love some soup, I can't help it! I feel like it is healthy and it is a one pot meal (well for me anyways, my husband always claims it doesn't count as main course, and then I find him sneaking and making pizza rolls or whatever we have in the freezer later). If you love tomato soup, then you will love this soup. This tomato soup is compliments of Giada, are you seeing a pattern here? I love recipes from Giada, Ina and the Smitten Kitchen! We served ours with grilled cheese sandwiches and it was the perfect meal for a cozy night.
I present to you: Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary






HEARTY TOMATO SOUP WITH LEMON AND ROSEMARY
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup creme fraiche
Zest of one lemon
DIRECTIONS
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. 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.

Puree the soup in a 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.

In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately.

**I got this recipe out of Giada's Cookbook "Giada's Kitchen" and it called for heavy cream, that you whip with a beater until thick. So I used that instead of creme fraiche. The heavy cream gave the soup the perfect amount of thickness and rich flavor. Matt may or may not have poured half a container of heavy cream in his.**

Print Recipe HERE