Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking! 

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

• Cherry tomatoes, I usually do about 34 ounces (3 pints or 1 large container and a pint) (see note)
• Olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon or so of fresh thyme 
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced 
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced or minced
• Lots of red pepper flakes
• 2 15-ounce cans of white beans (butter or cannellini), rinsed
• 2 cups of vegetable broth 
• Kosher salt and pepper 
• Italian parsley, chopped (see note)
• Lemon zest and juice
• Calabrian chili paste, optional (see note)

Directions  

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a sheet pan (see note). Toss the tomatoes with a generous glug of Olive oil and thyme and season generously with salt. I usually try one at this point to make sure they taste good! 
3. Roast the tomatoes until they have collapsed and their juices released, but before they start to char, about 20 minutes. 
4. When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat Olive oil in a Dutch oven (so it covers the bottom) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in the beans and season again with salt. 
5. Once the tomatoes are done roasting, add them to the pot along with the broth. Season with salt and pepper and allow the stew to simmer for about 10 minutes.  
6. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon zest, parsley, and a tiny bit of lemon juice. You can always add more juice but can’t wait away! Taste and adjust with more pepper, salt, lemon, or spice.

Notes

• In my opinion, the more tomatoes the better. I usually buy a 24-ounce continuer and then a 10-ounce pint to use for this recipe. 
• I usually add parchment paper to my sheet pans for easier cleanup. In this case, the parchment paper will absorb some of the delicious juices that will help flavor your soup. I roast them now without the parchment paper and complain that the sheet tray is a pain to clean. 
• If I have parsley, I use it to garnish at the end but if you don’t it still tastes delicious without it.
• I often finish the stew with a little Calabrian chili paste.