Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

1.     2 Tbs. olive oil
2.     3 cloves garlic, minced
3.     ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
4.     1 medium onion, chopped
5.     2 medium carrots, sliced
6.     2 ribs celery, chopped
7.     1 small zucchini, sliced
8.     ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
9.     2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10.     2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
11.     1 15-oz. can small white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
12.     1 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Get the ones that aren’t packed in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag, can be found in the produce section.
13.     8 basil leaves, torn plus more for garnish
14.     8 oz bag baby spinach

Directions

•     Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and thyme.  Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.
•     Add broth, 1 can tomatoes, and beans. In a blender, add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil leaves and 1/2 soup liquid. Purée until smooth. Add more soup liquid to get the consistency you want.  Stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes.
•     Add baby spinach and simmer 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil garnish.