Spicy Tomato-Bean Soup With Greens With Garlic Bread

Vegescatarian's Note:

I tossed this recipe together on my birthday when I found I was short of ingredients for a Tuscan Bean and Greens soup I wanted to make. It resembles a spicy marinara sauce but in soup form. This soup is amazing and super easy to make, and when coupled with homemade garlic bread you'll find yourself in soup heaven. This recipe works as an appetizer and a main meal.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

For the soup

• 404.83 g can cherry tomatoes, don't drain
• 793.78 g can pinto beans or 793.78 g can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 head escarole, roughly chopped or 1 large handful of ripped up spinach
• 1 shallots or 1 red onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.23 ml brown sugar
• sea salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 709.77 ml vegan vegetable broth
• 29.58 ml olive oil
• 1.23 ml crushed red pepper flakes

For the garlic bread

• 1 white bread or 1 sourdough baguette, sliced into 8 pieces with the crusts removed
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 59.14 ml olive oil

Directions:

1. For the soup, puree the tomatoes with brown sugar, 1 cup vegetable broth, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of fresh cracked pepper in a food processor until smooth and set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium and sautee the garlic until golden and fragrant.
3. Add the crushed pepper, a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, and the shallot and sautee for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the escarole and stir until wilted.
5. Add the tomato puree and the beans and stir a few times. Add another pinch of sea salt, some fresh cracked pepper, and cover the soup.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let the soup cook for 20 minutes.
7. For garlic bread, preheat the oven to 350. Crush three cloves of garlic and mix with olive oil until combined.
8. Brush each side of each slice of bread with garlic oil and bake until lightly browned on each side. Depending on your oven, this will probably take about 2 to 5 minutes.
9. Place a slice of garlic bread at the bottom of a bowl, ladle on the soup and enjoy.