Making a big pot of soup is such a comfort for me, have a bowl for dinner and then knowing I get to look forward to the leftovers for lunch for the next day. This is a lighter soup packed with veggies, beans and a hint of flavor that you just can’t put your finger on (that’s the Herbs de Provence and white wine vinegar). This can come together in 30 minutes but I love letting it simmer a bit longer on the stove to really deepen in flavor.
Another trick to this soup is pieces of the rind from Parmesan cheese, when we finish a block of any hard cheese I cut the rind off the end and throw it in a bag in the freezer. It ads such great flavor and you only need a few small pieces to really impact the soup.
This is delicious with some crusty bread and butter. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 2 to 3 inch piece cheese rind
- 1 bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)
- 3 large carrots, diced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt/Pepper
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan.
- Add onion, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add vegetable broth and the next 5 ingredients (through cheese rind); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. (If you want a richer flavor let simmer 30 minutes
- Add carrot cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until carrot is tender. Stir in spinach red pepper, salt, black pepper, and vinegar. Cook until spinach is wilted (about 5 minutes)
- Remove and discard rind; sprinkle soup with shaved cheese.
