Friday's Fun Recipe: Bread Soup w/ Bread Croutons

Recipe provided by Alicia Lacovara

Ingredients:
Olive oil for cooking
½ white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped into ½ inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 ½ quarts chicken broth (low sodium)
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans (drained, rinsed)
4 cans of canned whole tomatoes, quartered, with some juice
2 cups chopped swiss chard (or another leafy green, like kale, spinach or collards)
3 cups day-old Italian bread (not sandwich bread), ripped into 1 ½ inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
2 tbsp of each:
* chopped fresh basil
* chopped fresh cilantro
* parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and cook until transparent (about 5 minutes). Add carrots and celery, and cook stirring often (5 more minutes). Stir in chicken broth and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add quartered tomatoes and swiss chard, and simmer for another 15 minutes, covered.
2. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350o. Spread bread pieces out on a baking sheet, and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, and a bit of salt. Toast for about 10
2.minutes and then set aside.
3. Just before serving, add basil and cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide soup among serving bowls and top each with a few warm croutons. Grate parmesan
4.directly over soup if you like!

Nutrition Information per serving:
Serving Size is 1-cup
Calories: 212
Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 0 g
Protein: 10 g