Tomato Florentine Soup is the perfect spring soup!
Don’t believe me? Look at that beautiful and bountiful bowl-o-soup! Carrots, celery, fresh tomatoes and spinach just to name a few. A soup so simple it’s beyond ridiculous. So darn delicious folks will think you dropped into your local diner and confiscated pints of their “soup de jour” trying to pass is as your own. To extreme? Possibly.
One of my all time lunch combination is the mighty soup and sandwich. Over spring break I took my daughter’s to our favorite spot in downtown Fenton for lunch. Since it was a chilly, rainy afternoon, Haileigh and I both ordered the soup and sandwich combo while Malloree ordered a chicken pot pie. Cozy comfort at its best. The restaurants soup was, you guessed it, tomato Florentine. A light tomato broth soup swimming with vegetables and clean, simple flavors.
It was the perfect thing on the perfect day. So I knew I had to recreate it at home asap.
Start by adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large, heavy bottom stock pot or Dutch oven. Heat on medium, once hot add the onion, celery and carrot along with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Cook until soft and the onions are translucent. About 10-12 minutes.
Once the vegetables are tender, I add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minutes before adding in the chopped tomatoes (skin, seeds and all).
Stir, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Next pour in the 2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable broth and the can of crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
When the 30 minutes are up, add in about 2-1/2 ounces of baby spinach, or regular spinach that’s been chopped. Stir and cook until the spinach wilts.
Next, stir in 1 to 1-1/2 cups pre-cooked long grain white rice and heat throughout. It won’t seem like a lot of rice at first, but the rice will absorb some of the liquids swell even more.
When I first made this soup, I tested it with 2 cups of rice and found that to bee too much, so I use about a generous cup to cup and a half.
Taste and season with 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan Reggiano, minced parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
This soup was made for dunking in, so I served this soup with a fancy-schmancy grilled cheese sandwich and will be sharing the recipe with you all very soon.
Enjoy! And if you give this recipe a try, let me know by snapping a photo and tagging me on twitter or instagram!
My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!
Tomato Florentine Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup sliced carrot half moons
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 quarts vegetable broth
- 2½ ounces baby spinach, about 2 handfuls
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups cooked long grain white rice
- freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano, for serving
- minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Heat over medium, then add the onions, carrots, celery and a few pinches of kosher salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender, then add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding in the chopped tomato and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in the crushed tomato sauce and pour in the broth, stir and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling; cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.
- Next add in the cooked rice and baby spinach, stir until the spinach has wilted and rice is heated through. Lastly, season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan Reggiano, minced parsley and extra freshly ground black pepper.
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Hi Deborah! Try refreshing or opening a new tab for Simply Scratch. Sometimes that happens. 🙂 Thanks for pinning!!
This is one our go-to recipes! MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVES IT! I switch out the rice for either gnocchi or a small pasta to change it up, but it’s just as good either way. Great way to get my picky eater to eat his veggies!! Thanks for the recipe!