Winter’s Over (well, almost)

Spring’s greatest joy beyond a doubt is when it brings the children out.

Edgar Guest

Hello, sweet friend…

Let’s go for a ride…

Welcoming Spring…

A Spring Tuscan Soup

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, thickly sliced
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 (15 -ounce) cans cannellini beans or other small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups baby kale or baby spinach, stems removed if tough
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, for garnish
• Olive oil, to serve
• Extra grated Parmesan, to serve

For the parmesan toasts:

• 1/2 baguette, thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

🦋When you start this soup, sauté vegetables first to give the soup lots of flavor. Let carrots, onion, and celery cook with sprigs of oregano, then stir in the beans and chicken stock

1. Cook the vegetables: In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. When it is hot, add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, fresh oregano sprigs, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until the vegetables look softened and the onions turn translucent.

2. Prepare the beans: On a plate, mash 1/2 cup of the beans with a fork or potato masher. Add them to the vegetables in the pot. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

3. Simmer the soup: Add the remaining beans to the pot and stir well. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partially cover with the lid placed askew, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the liquid is flavorful.

Discard the oregano sprigs; the leaves will have fallen into the soup. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. While the soup simmers, make the Parmesan toasts: Toast the bread until lightly golden on both sides. While the toast is still hot from the toaster, sprinkle with olive oil and cheese. If you have a toaster oven, return them to the toaster for 1 minute to melt the cheese; otherwise, arrange the toasts in a skillet over medium heat, cover, and warm for about 1 minute or until the cheese has melted.

5. Add the greens to the soup: Add the kale or spinach to the pot and simmering for another 2 minutes, or just until the greens wilt.

 6. Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with oregano and more olive oil, if you like. Serve with Parmesan toasts and extra Parmesan for sprinkling.