creamy tomato and bean soup with garlic croutons - Cook with Gem

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g (2x 15oz) cans butter beans or any white beans
• 2 x 400g (2x 14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 red peppers (bell peppers)
• 160g (5oz) frozen leaf or chopped spinach
• Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, inexpensive stuff is fine
• Optional – 100g (3 1⁄2 oz) crème fraiche or cream cheese plus Parmesan or mature Cheddar to grate over at the end
• 2-4x slices stale bread – ideally day old or from the freezer
• 2 tablespoons oil – rapeseed or olive
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 large pinch sea salt flakes