White Bean and Tomato Soup

When I was a child, I was a very picky eater. One of the only things my mother could get me to eat were sliced tomatoes, coated in Italian dressing. I'm not really sure why she ever offered them like that initially, but it was literally all I would eat for dinner many a night. Perfectly ripe tomatoes are by far my favorite fruit. 

I genuinely love them more than other fruits, even the sweet ones.

I never lost my love for tomatoes. 

When I first started cooking for myself, I would buy pints of cherry tomatoes, slice them and add them raw to cooked pasta. I would saute them with vegetables, basil and garlic, and eat them over rice. 

When I was wondering around my apartment today after work, I had an overwhelming desire for tomato soup, preferably paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. I don't think there has ever been a more perfect pair. Although someone left a half quart of milk in my refrigerator after the seasonal cookie festivities, and I could have hypothetically made the cream of tomato soup that traditionally accompanies a grilled cheese, I lacked the bread to make a grilled cheese. I also had a half cup of white beans I had cooked on Sunday languishing in my refrigerator, lonely and begging to be used. 

So I did. 

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups cooked white beans, and approximately 1/2 cup cooking liquid if from scratch  

7 oz canned tomatoes with liquid (1/2 can)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced 

1/2 onion, chopped 

2 cups stock 

Water to cover 

A pinch cayenne 

Bring water, stock, tomatoes, carrot and onion to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 30 minutes, then add white beans and cayenne, and heat through.