Souper! Salad! Recipe

Make croutons

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss sourdough cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and Parmesan (if using) on a baking sheet. Spread into a single layer and toast 10–12 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. Remove and cool.

Prepare warm bean broth

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 4 cups broth. Add minced garlic and simmer gently 1 minute until fragrant. Add drained white beans, chopped baby spinach, thyme, and lemon zest. Simmer 4–5 minutes until spinach wilts and beans are heated through. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep warm on lowest heat while assembling salad.

Whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, Dijon, honey (or maple), apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar. Taste and adjust acidity or seasoning. The dressing should be bright and slightly tangy to complement the warm broth.

Prepare the fresh salad components: halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, shred carrots, thinly slice red bell pepper and radishes, slice green onions, and dice the avocado. Toss these in a bowl to combine. If you’re not serving immediately, add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.

In a large shallow serving bowl or individual salad bowls, place mixed baby greens and chopped romaine. Drizzle about half the prepared dressing over the greens and lightly toss to coat.

Scatter the prepared vegetables and avocado over the dressed greens. Spoon the warm bean-and-broth mixture over one portion of the salad at the table (or ladle a small amount over each individual bowl) so the broth soaks slightly into the greens—this creates the ‘Souper! Salad’ contrast of warm and crisp. Top with warm croutons, toasted seeds, and chopped parsley. Finish with an extra drizzle of dressing if desired and a crack of black pepper.

Serve immediately while broth and croutons are warm. Leftover broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; keep salad components separate until serving.