Roasted Tomato, White Bean & Basil Soup

Fresh, vibrant flavors.

This soup is a serious spring fling for your taste buds, which will be delighted to experience its bright, fresh flavors after quarantines comfort food barrage.

It’s a hearty, flexible soup that comes together with mostly pantry staples and delivers layers of flavors. Cherry tomatoes, get roasted in a drizzle of olive oil to amplify their sweetness. Onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes form the backbone of this dish, to which white beans and broth are added, then simmered until thick and creamy. And to top it off, I threw in some lemon zest and fresh basil for that refreshing hit of goodness.

So hearty and healthy.

While this soup is fabulous on its own, you could also add wilt-able greens such as kale, arugula, spinach or Swiss chard at the end, and some toasted bread crumbs on top would be amazing. The dish is plant-based, but should you wish, you could top your bowl with a showering of grated Parmesan.

Make the soup, friends. It does a body good.

Roasted Tomato, White Bean & Basil Soup

½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil (or Italian parsley leaves)
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
2 (10-ounce) containers cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Toasted bread, for serving

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, gently toss together the basil and lemon zest with your hands until well combined; set aside.

In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed beans and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about ½ cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.

When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more so the flavors become friendly; season to taste with salt.

Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon-basil mixture and drizzle with some more olive oil, and season with flaky salt, if you like.