Giada DeLaurentiis may not be my favorite celebrity chef, but this recipe of hers warms my heart – and stomach. Many of you are probably enjoying your beautiful surroundings, courtesy of the snow that has fallen everywhere, but I am also sure that you cannot help but dislike the cold that it brings with it. The next time you go out into that cold winter day, make sure that you have some of this soup ready for you when you get back – you’ll forget your irritation for sure.

Hearty tomato soup with lemon and rosemary
Giada DeLaurentiis
Makes 6 to 8 servings

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
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Zest of one lemon

DIRECTIONS
I made this for an après-ski menu on “Everyday Italian.” It is quite hearty and the beans give it nice body without making it too thick. The whipped cream garnish is beautiful and becomes even more fragrant as it slowly melts into the soup.

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, whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary whipped cream. Serve immediately.

In the recipe provided by MSNBC, this soup is supposed to go excellently with panini. Visit the article for the panini recipe, or choose your own bread to go with the soup!

Originally posted on November 22, 2010 @ 3:11 pm