Tomato Spinach Soup x Croutons

Your favorite marinara just underwent some magic. A few quick additions & voila! I give you the most satisfying tomato soup you can come by, sans all the bullshit that comes in a can :)

I love to make a double batch of the sauce - use some for a pizza, some for this soup, and I store away the rest to serve as a base for whatever creation I may need it for. You can keep it in the fridge for a week or so, or freeze for a month plus & defrost.

It’s made even more magical with the addition of crispy croutons, made from leftover cauliflower crust. My suggestion? Next time you make the pizza, save a little of the batter & make a mini pizza crust that you can then tear up into little pieces to crisp up – even better if you’re able to let the crust get a little stale first. You can also save some of the crust to use as sandwich bread. Honestly, just make the soup for the croutons, alone. I won’t judge.

Tomato Soup:

• 1 batch of the marinara

• 2-4 cups baby spinach

• About 3 cups of vegetable broth, or as desired (I love the hearty veggie broth from TJ’s)

• Salt & pepper

• Optional: chili flakes

Pour the marinara into a small saucepan & add the veggie broth a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency (I prefer mine a bit on the thicker side). Add the baby spinach, as much as you’d like, and let it wilt down (I like to pack in as much nutritious spinach as possible here, as they wilt down to nothing & are tasteless). Add salt & pepper to taste, you can also add some chili flakes if you prefer a bit of heat. You can either eat as is or blend in order to incorporate the spinach. If you like your soup a little chunky, pulse the blender a few times. If you like it on the creamy side, blend on high.

Croutons:

• ¼ batch of the cauliflower crust (or as much as you like), preferably left out overnight to stale a bit

• Garlic olive oil or avocado oil (typically I suggest avocado oil for the higher smoke point, but the TJ’s garlic olive oil is on another level! It’s a must for this recipe. Alternatively, you could make your own oil infusion or just rub garlic over the crust before baking)

• Salt & pepper

Tear or cut the cauliflower crust into bite size pieces, drizzle with the oil, and season with a bit of salt & pepper. Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning. Flip the pieces over, drizzle with a tiny bit more oil & place back under broiler for 1 minute.

Assembly:

Pour the hot soup into a bowl & top with the croutons (love to do this when they’re still piping hot). Amazing topped with some fresh basil and a little salt & pepper. Would also be amazing with a drizzle of an herb or garlic infused olive oil.