Super Duper Soup!

Wow, it got chilly fast, we are only into the second week of September and already have a taste of it.  My youngest son is already yelling to put the heat on, NO WAY! I will not do that until it is absolutely necessary.  To warm him up I made a pot of Tuscan Bean Soup today.   Is there any other way to warm up, I mean except for alcohol and a bon fire, and who doesn't like those two things together in the cooler months.  He is old enough to drink, but thankfully doesn't do much of that since he is vegan and a health nut, so soup is on the menu for him tonight.

I got busy in the kitchen, already had the pantry stocked up for soup season, so I didn't have to run to the store for anything.  That is always good in my book, because once I leave the house and have to come back and do things, I can't get motivated.  This soup is pretty easy and fast to make, the recipe is below.

To print recipe, highlight, click and print.

To view pictures in a larger format just click on them.

All of my ingredients and sauteing the veggies.

 Vegetable stock and herbs in, then drain and rinse the beans.  It's really starting to look quite tasty!

I used this spinach, it's already washed, I just tore the stems off I don't like seeing them when I eat it.

 Toss the spinach in the pot last and let it cook down.

 How good does that look? Because it smells fantastic......

warms the belly and it's soooo good! 

Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion, medium dice

4 carrots, medium dice

3 stalks celery with leaves, medium dice

1/2 medium green zucchini, cubed

1/2 medium yellow zucchini, cubed

2 bulbs of fennel, core removed, cut into thirds and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, more if you like heat

3 sprigs fresh thyme, mince or just throw in sprigs, be sure to remove before serving

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 - 32 oz containers Vegetable Stock

3 - 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 - 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, do not drain

2 1/2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed (wash thoroughly if not pre-washed)

Fresh grated Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese

Directions

Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, on medium-high heat, in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini and fennel.  Saute for about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook for about a minute.  Stir in the stock, beans and tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and add the spinach.  Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese on top and crusty bread to sop up all the broth. Makes 10-12 servings.

NOTE:  If you want to thicken the soup, use an immersion blender for just a few seconds, as you do not want to puree the whole pot of soup!  You can also use a regular blender, wash with hot water first, be careful as the glass could shatter from the heat of the soup.  Take out about 1 1/2 cups of soup and blend in the blender, pour back into the soup.

Hearty, Healthy, Vegan Italian Tuscan Bean Soup

Soup is what's on the menu alot in my house lately.  With the cold weather in the air, it warms you and fills you up fast.  Soup is one of those dishes you can make out of anything that you already have in your pantry and/or refrigerator, it's that easy, and doesn't take long to cook.  I made Vegan Italian Tuscan Bean Soup yesterday, and the aroma all through the house was fantastic!  This is how I made it, recipe below. 

To print the recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

All of this went into my pot to make my soup.

 Chopped onion and celery, I even use the celery leaves they add great flavor and texture.

Add all the remaining ingredients and let it simmer on the stove.

 What you get when it's done, is a big bowl of flavorful soup for lunch or dinner, that not only tastes good but is good for you.  I topped mine with a few croutons and fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. To keep it totally vegan top with a vegan shredded cheese or cubes of tofu.  Dig in!

Vegan Italian Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

4 stalks celery with leaves, diced

1 green zucchini, cubed, leave skin on 

1 yellow zucchini, cubed, leave skin on

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more if you like heat

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon, dry

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 1/2 teaspoons, dry

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or 2 teaspoons dry 

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or regular salt, omit or lower if watching salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 - 32 oz. containers vegetable stock, not broth

3 - 14.5 oz. cans diced petite tomatoes with juice

4 - 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 bags escarole and radicchio mix, pick through for tough ribs

2 tablespoons raw sugar, optional

Directions

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes just until fragrant but not burnt.  Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper.  Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans and sugar, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and add the escarole, stir to combine.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occassionally.  Just before serving, if you like your soup a little thicker and less chunky, you can use an immersion blender to smooth some of the texture of the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender use a regular blender/Ninja blender, but you will have to let the soup cool before you put it in the glass or plastic container, it will shatter!  Take 2-3 ladles of soup out of the pot and into another pan. Use the immersion blender to partially smooth it out, then pour back into the soup pot.  Top your soup with croutons and cheese before serving. Makes 10 - 12 servings.

It's a Great Day For Soup - Vegetarian Italian Minestrone Soup

It is freezing in my neck of the woods, it was 5 degrees when I went outside yesterday morning.  I had to drop my son off to get his car inspected, my car would not start, the retractable running boards on my car were jammed because they were frozen, and the lights on my dashboard were all frozen on. I immediately felt the cold as soon as I opened the garage door to go out.  It is dangerously cold weather for this region, it doesn't usually get this bad.  In less than a minute I could feel my hands freezing up and could not wait to get back inside where it was warm.  Today, 3-4 inches of snow already and more to come. UGGGHHH! I'm tired of the snow and cold, I need warmth.

So, on my return trip yesterday from dropping off my son, I decided it was an excellent day for a hot, hearty soup.  Is there any other way, besides alcohol I mean, to warm you up?  So I headed to the kitchen and this is what I made, Vegetarian Italian Minestrone Soup.  I am going to serve it with some grated Parmesan Cheese on top and hot crusty Italian bread on the side. Recipe below, to print the recipe just click, highlight and print.

 Buon Appetito!

To start I pull out all of my ingredients, it's easier that way for me so I am not running all over the kitchen.

 Olive oil, chopped onion and minced garlic.

 Carrots and celery, add to the pot with salt and pepper.  Add the stock and tomatoes.

 Drain the beans and chop that parsley, and add them in with the Italian seasoning.

 Stir it all up and let it simmer.  Then add the chopped kale.......

 and the pasta.  When ready to serve top with grated cheese.  Yummy!

 I can't believe I ate it all, it was sooooo good!

VEGETARIAN ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 carrots, chopped

4 ribs celery with leaves, sliced

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 big cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

2 - 32 oz. boxes vegetable stock

2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes

2- 15 oz cans cannelini or kidney beans or one of each, drained

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

2 cups small shell pasta, ditalini or any other small pasta, cooked

2 cups chopped escarole, kale or spinach

Grated Parmagiano - Reggiano cheese

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes, be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, and parsley.  Reduce heat to medium, bring to a boil, stir occasionally. Start a pot of salted water for the pasta.  When water is boiling add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain the pasta, then add to the soup along with the kale.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours. Serve with grated cheese and crusty Italian bread.
Serves 8 - 10.