Hey Emma!
The weather has been crazy this winter. The east coast is buried all the way down to the Carolinas but out here in the west it’s been four months of perpetual fall. Not that I’m complaining. I could live quite happily if temperatures never dropped below 50 degrees for the rest of my life.
But alas, we’ve finally had our first snow and since the thermostat has been hovering around 16 degrees Fahrenheit I’m guessing it’s going to stay a while, which means it’s time for soup!
As much as I’d love to spend hours keeping warm by the stove, between work and school, I don’t have time waiting for flavors to meld. Let’s be honest. I don’t have 20 minutes to make dinner. That’s what I love about White Bean and Vegetable Soup. It has all the heart warming flavors of a warm winter soup but is ready in about twenty minutes.
Inspired by a Pasta and Chick Pea soup recipe I first discovered in The Cooks Encyclopedia of Soup edited by Debra Mayhew, my version has been a staple in our house for the past fifteen years.
Unfortunately the book is out of print but you can purchase a used copy for as low as .25 cents here. Yes, you read that correctly. This book will cost you a quarter on Amazon.
I promise, it will be the best .25 cents you’ve spent in your life. Far better than that quarter you spent for the toy that came in a tiny plastic bubble in the vending machine at Snappy Service. Remember that? You wanted a Disney princess pencil topper but instead you got a temporary tattoo of a snake. It did make a statement in ballet. You were the only five year old in a tutu with a rattlesnake tattoo on your face. But if the shipping is going to break the bank try my version below.
Unlike that snake, there are so many things about this recipe to love. It’s quick, economical and super easy. If you can chop a carrot and open a can of beans you’ve got the skill set required to make this tasty recipe. And that’s not even the best part, it’s healthy! According to the nutrition app Loseit! it logs in at 182 calories a cup. Which means you can fill up without feeling guilty.
Pass the rolls!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots finely chopped
- 3/4 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion minced
- 1 14 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2/3 cup tomato puree
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups pasta, such as medium shells or campanelle
- 2 tablespoon fresh (or 1 tablespoon dried) rosemary coarsely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese
- In a large saucepan heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until just golden, about 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, celery and onion and cook over low heat until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans, tomato puree and rosemary until until combined. Add chicken broth, cover and increase heat to medium. Cook just to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.
- Serve with thick shavings of parmesan cheese.
- To make parmesan cheese shavings use a hand held cheese slicer or a potato peeler.
- This soup will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
- 1 Cup serving: Calories 182, Fat 5.8 g, Sodium 237 mg., Carbohydrate 25.8 g., Fiber 4.5 g. Sugars 2.2 g., Protein 6g.
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