1 c. oatmeal, toasted*
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced (about 3/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls fresh spinach (about 2 c.), chopped
1 t. pepper
1 t. sea salt
1 T. pesto or chopped fresh basil (1 t. dried basil may be substituted)
2 c. diced tomatoes
4 c. chicken broth
1 15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained,or 2 c. soaked and cooked dry beans
Parmesan cheese for garnish, opt.
Step 1: Toast the oatmeal in a dry saute pan until the grain is fragrant and golden, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, saute diced onion in the olive oil until transparent. Add in the garlic and spinach and saute until the spinach wilts. Season with the salt and pepper. If you’re using dried basil, add it in now. Stir in the tomatoes and broth. At this point, I like to use my immersion blender to create a chunky puree, but this is optional. Bring soup to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add in the white beans and the toasted oatmeal. If you are using pesto or fresh basil, add it now. Allow the soup to simmer an additional minute or two, until the oatmeal is just softened and the beans are warmed through. Ladle into bowls.
Step 4: If you like, you can garnish each bowl with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
*For this recipe, I do not soak the oatmeal. It’s difficult to soak a grain like that unless you’re going to bake with the finished product. If you have a grain roller, however, you could soak the oat groats overnight, dehydrate them, and then roll them. This would give you a traditional rolled oat texture with the benefits of a soaked grain.