Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

As I was considering what to make for November's No Croutons Required, I remembered this hearty bean, veggie and pasta soup that I used to make at least once every winter. Served with crusty bread, this soup is always a filling and warming meal on a cold snowy day. This time I served the soup with Pumpkin Scones.

There are still a few days left to submit a hearty pasta soup or salad. The submission deadline is the 20th and the guidelines can be found here.

I am sending this along to the January 2012 Blog Hop at FaveDiets. The theme is to submit your favorite Winter Soup.

Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of vegetable stock
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 - 3 hot green chilies
1 28 ounce can of tomatoes
2 cups of cooked navy beans (3/4 cup dried)
1 cup of spinach, coarsely chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 1/2 cups of uncooked pasta (I used rigatoni)
1/4 - 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.

Now add the vegetable stock, carrot, green chilies, and tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the cooked beans, spinach, zucchini, basil, parsley and oregano and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

Cook the pasta, drain and add to the soup pot. Cook for another few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8.