Soup, Soup, and More Soup!

Fall is here, and now start my favorite meals of the year...soup! Soups are warm and filling, and very inexpensive to make. They are healthy, and a wonderful meal for when you are in a hurry.

Below are some of my favorite soup recipes. They are so delicious!

Bean and Pasta Soup

-1 1/3 cup dried navy beans, soaked, drained, and rinsed

-1 tablespoons olive oil

-1 onion, sliced

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-14 oz. can chopped tomatoes

-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-1 teaspoon tomato paste

-3 1/2 cups water

-3 oz. small pasta shapes (I recommend Ancient Harvest Quinoa Shells, gluten-free)

-1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

-1 tablespoon fresh parsley

-salt and pepper to taste

1. Place soaked beans in a large pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 15 minutes; drain in a colander.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and fry the onion until it is just beginning to change color. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

3. Stir in chopped tomatoes, oregano, and tomato paste, and water. Add beans and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until beans are tender.

4. Add pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Return the soup to a boil, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

5. Stir in parsley and serve with a salad and hot bread. 

Garbanzo Bean Soup

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 onion, sliced

-2 zucchini, diced

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes

-1 tablespoon tomato paste

-3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

-1 14 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

-8 oz. spinach, shredded 

-salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and zucchini and cook briskly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock, and garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve with a salad and warm pita bread.

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"When God calls a man, He bids him to come and die."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Both soup recipes were adapted from Pasta and Italian cookbook.