Souper Tuesday

In anticipation of the cold months ahead, might I introduce you to one of my favorite soups? pasta e fagioli. Translation: pasta and beans.

Images by Kirsten Valentini

This soup is pretty hearty with tomatoes, leeks, carrots, kale, cannellini beans and ditalini. Mine is vegetarian, not all versions are. Despite its simple ingredients, it’s filled with flavor and surprisingly easy to make. Dare I say foolproof?

A side of garlic bread is highly recommended to sop up all the deliciousness at the bottom of the bowl and don’t forget grated cheese to top off the soup!

If you intend to participate in soup season, a little trick I recently learned is to chop up and freeze extra vegetables, like carrots and celery as I rarely use all if I’m making just one dish. For a recipe like pasta e fagioli in which the leeks and carrots are chopped finely in a food processor, previously frozen vegetables work very well.