Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

As I was considering what to make for a warming November meal, I remembered this hearty bean, vegetable 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. Colorful and nourishing, it's also very easy to make. This time I served the soup with pumpkin scones for a very comforting meal on a chilly day.


Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta SoupHearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup
Recipe by
Cuisine: Italian
Published on November 17, 2008

Simple, colorful and delicious Italian tomato, white bean and pasta soup loaded with fresh vegetables — warming and nourishing on a cool day

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Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and chopped
  • 28 oz (825 mL) can tomatoes
  • 2 cups cooked navy beans (3/4 cup dried)
  • 1 cup spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.

  • Pour in the vegetable stock and add the 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 according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and stir into the soup. Continue to simmer for another few minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

  • Serve hot, with a sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan cheese in each bowl.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Hearty Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

12 comments:

Dana Treat said...

I love that you used large pasta in the soup - so much heartier that way.

Johanna GGG said...

sounds delicious - it is the sort of soup I used to make a lot in the past but make less these days - it goes down well in summer as well as winter so must put it on my to do list!

Anonymous said...

What a great sounding soup! And thanks for the prod re: No Croutons Required. I'm off to the kitchen. . . :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

I'm not a soup lover, but I love pasta in any form, including soups.
So this soup is my kind of food.

command economy said...

Arr me hearty, that looks delicious. I miss your cooking. Readers of this blog, such a small bit of a tiny fragment of the Lisa's Kitchen experience is captured by the photography and text.

Lisa, I had my first NZ homecooked meal at a proper house last week -- a barbecue! It was a meaty experience, and it involved the first steak I'd eaten since 1991.

Next will be a so-called boilup, which is pork bones boiled for hours with watercress. Yeah, yeah, I know, but what with the hospitality I'm going native.

But next summer, August or September, I will knock on your door for a while, begging plate and spoon in hand.

Lisa Turner said...

Mike, you are missed. It would give me great pleasure to cook for you again. Sounds like you are in need of some good vegetarian fare. No need to bring your own plate and spoon. I've got plenty here :)

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Very enticing photos! The pasta looks like it is giant rigatoni, lovely and filling. I liked the parmesan grated on top, I must do that with my bowl of soup tonight.

Usha said...

I love all types of soups but especially hearty soups with pasta in them...looks wonderful :-)

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Nice soup

test it comm said...

What a hearty and tasty looking soup!

anthony stemke said...

i made this soup the other day and my spouse got so excited i couldn't believe it. we loved it maximally. also made your tamarind black beans, they were wonderful too.

Matt @ FaveDiets said...

This soup looks so good, thanks for linking this recipe up to my hop this month!