After a vigorous snowy hike in the quarry near our house, I was excited for a perfect winter lunch – tomato soup & grilled cheese.

My mom has made this hearty tomato soup for me and I think it is delicious.  The rosemary and red pepper flakes give the soup great flavor and the white beans help thicken the soup, providing a nice texture.

When pureeing the soup, either use an immersion blender or be sure to only ladle a small amount of soup at one time into a regular blender.  Otherwise, you might have tomato soup everywhere (like me!).

I skipped the lemon rosemary creme fraiche because I couldn’t find creme fraiche in our local Price Chopper.  Instead I sprinkled parmesan cheese on top of our steaming bowls of soup.

I didn’t have much cheese in the house but some days nothing hits the spot like a grilled cheese made with Kraft singles.  My trick for even browning of the bread is to lightly brush the bread with melted butter.

The hot bowl of soup and the grilled cheese hit the spot and helped warm us after our winter walk in the woods.

Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary
Giada de Laurentiis

• 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

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 2/3 cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately.