Year of the Soup: Week 16

Many people have asked if my soup project stems from a desire to be the next Julie & Julia.  Many people.  (Not just the person who left a blog comment – I am not picking on you!)  The answer is no.  Yes, I’ve seen the movie, and I liked it.  It made me want to eat lots of butter, but it didn’t inspire me to invent a cooking project to blog about.  I just like to cook.  The inspiration truly was as simple as explained here, and Meryl Streep wasn’t involved :) (Although she was fantastic in that movie – you should see it if you haven’t!)

So now that we’ve got that cleared up, here’s this week’s recipe.  This soup is hearty and filling – it definitely “eats like a meal.”  Excellent for this crazy cold spring weather we’re having.  Enjoy!

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredient

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium-size fennel bulb, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable     broth
• 1 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. whole-wheat ditalini or orzo pasta
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion and celery, and sauté 7 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add garlic, oregano and pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in tomatoes and beans, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
2. Add broth, salt and 2 1/2 cups water, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta, and cook 10 minutes more, or until pasta is tender.
3. Sprinkle with parsley, and season with salt and pepper.