Cookbook Challenge - Week 11 - Tuscan Harvest Soup

Another new recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health, another winner! A hearty vegetarian soup, or vegan if you leave out the parmesan on top. Get chopping and prep everything...

Tuscan Harvest Soup
serves 4-6 (makes about 10 cups)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TB olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs of celery)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carots (about 4 large carrots)
• 1 cup chopped fennel bulb (about 1/2 fennel bulb)
• 2 cups chopped green cabbage (about 1/2 cabbage)
• 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 TB minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup finely shopped fennel leaves OR italian parsley
• 3 TB lemon juice
• 1 slice whole grain bread for each serving
• extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
• freshly grated parmesan cheese
• chopped fresh tomatoes for garnish

Directions:

1. In a covered soup pot on medium-low heat, cook the onions and salt in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ground fennel, and celery and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped fennel bulb and cabbage, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the squash, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the squash softens but does not fall apart, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In a blender, puree 1 cup of the beans with 1 cup of the soup. Stir the puree into the soup pot. Add the remaining beans and the black pepper, thyme, and fennel leaves/parsley. Simmer covered for at least 10 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded.
3. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and toast the bread. To serve, place a slice of toast in each soup bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Ladle the soup over the bread and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top.
4. Top each bowl with fresh chopped tomatoes and or shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Nutrition: (does not include tomatoes or parmesan)
per 1 cup: 152 calories, 5g protein, 26g carbs, 6g fiber, 4g fat, 536g sodium