The key to great flavor here is cooking the tomatoes until they just begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, releasing all their addictive umami qualities, and seasoning at every stage. Cook, relax, and enjoy!

What you’ll need:
1 ciabatta roll
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
8 oz vine-ripened tomatoes
1 medium zucchini
4 oz green beans
15 oz can cannellini beans
fresh oregano sprig
8 oz vegetable broth
0.5 oz parmesan
olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:
large pot
vegetable peeler

Recipe steps:

1. Make croutons
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Tear roll into bite-size pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted and golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Set aside.

2. Chop vegetables
   Meanwhile, trim root from onion and cut in half. Discard peel and chop onion. Peel and chop garlic. Chop tomatoes and zucchini and cut green beans into 1-inch pieces on the bias. Rinse and drain cannellini beans.

3. Sauté aromatics
   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 3 minutes.

4. Simmer soup
   Add zucchini and broth to pot, along with 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until slightly reduced and flavors have melded, about 10 minutes.

5. Finish soup
   Stir in cannellini beans and green beans. Cook green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard oregano sprig.

6. Serve
   Divide croutons among bowls and ladle soup over. Pick oregano leaves from remaining sprig. Top soup with oregano leaves and shave Parmesan over. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!