White Bean, Roasted Tomato, and Rosemary Soup

Three SuperFoods in one bowl: beans, tomatoes, and spinach. If you make the soup ahead or are not necessarily going to serve it all during one meal, place some fresh and scallions into each bowl and ladle the hot soup over, instead of adding these to the batch. The soup will store and reheat better without these ingredients.

Serves 6

2 c. dried canellini beans
1 (28 oz) can whole Italian plum tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (1 c.)
4 c. Chicken/Vegetable stock
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 c thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

Rinse the beans in cold water and pick over them, discarding any stones or debris. Place them in a large bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain the beans and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a 2-qt baking dish, pour in the tomatoes with their juice and add the garlic. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes and garlic are slightly browned in spots and the liquid has reduced, about 45 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes, garlic, and pan juices to a blender or food processor and blend just until the mixture is slightly chunky, working in batches if necessary. Set the mixture aside.
In a 3-qt saucepan, heat the reamining 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4-5 mins.
Stir in the beans, stock, and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs and bay leaf in cheesecloth and add them to the pot. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove and discard the herb bundle. Stir the roasted tomato puree into the soup and bring it back to a simmer. Add more stock if necessary so the soup has a brothy texture. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in teh spinach and scallions. Serve hot.