Soups in general, and Italian soups in particular, traditionally were made in the frugal "peasant" style, using odds and ends of what home cooks had at hand so as not to waste anything. This soup also lends itself to that tradition. I used this recipe as a starting point and got creative as I went along, using what I had at hand in the pantry and freezer. I made my own stock, using beef and chicken bones with good bits of meat attached, that I had collected in the freezer. I also browned up some Italian sausage, casings removed, before sauteeing onions, celery, the red bell pepper and garlic - the sausage added great flavor! I used tomatoes I had frozen from my garden, a good glug of red wine and added some chopped zucchini with the pasta. Rather than fresh thyme I threw in a good Tuscan seasoning blend, along with salt and pepper to taste. I used canned cannelini beans (white kidney beans) for the beans called for, adding them at the last with the fresh, chopped spinach. This soup was so delicious, so rich, hearty and satisfying, that I was sorry I was full because I wanted another bowl! The aroma alone is enough to make you salivate and after weeks of travel and eating restaurant food this was just the sort of home cooked comfort food I needed. In true Italian style, don't forget to serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese!
Thanks Robyn for ANOTHER wonderful recipe! This was easy and VERY good! The flavor was wonderful and fresh! I did not want to play around with leftover bits of stuff in cans so I just threw them all in and it was wonderful! Used chopped frozen spinch that I defrosted! Thank for making my lifestyle change easier with your recipes Robyn!
This recipe has become a staple for my lunches. I double the recipe and freeze individual portions to take to work for lunch everyday. It freezes well and tastes just as good when reheated.
I ususally add alot more thyme then it calls for - usually 10-12 stripped sprigs. I find it adds a really nice flavour to the soup base. Also, I add the liquid from the canned tomatoes to thicken the broth and add some colour. I usually add equal parts of both red and green pepper, alot of garlic, and I use canned kidney beans instead of uncooked.
What a nice hearty soup. I did add full pkg's and cans of ingredients: 3 cans chix broth 1 can kidney beans 1 can diced tomatores 1 pkg of frozen spinach and 1 1/2c pasta. The soup was wonderful and the boyfriend who stopped by unexpectedly enjoyed it to!
I am not normally a bean soup person my family is but not me. Well....this smelled and looked so good when I was makikng it that I had to try some. What a nice recipe! It is wonderful and healthy and great tasting. I cheated and used canned drained kidney beans but otherwise followed everything to a T!
Very much like a minestrone. Very nice color presentation. I simmered a lot longer and think this will be even better tomorrow. Make sure you add some shredded parmesan on top and serve with a big crusty bread. Yum. Husband liked this so much he wants me to make it again for friends tomorrow night.
I loved this soup. I agree with the author that this soup is all one needs for a filling (and healthy) meal. I did skip the spinach. Along with other ingredients already listed I actually added a few additional things to it to make it a little heartier. I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes to make preparation easier some green beans 3 cups of shell pasta (instead of 1) green pepper and green onion some diced chicken breast and italian seasoning. Instead of using the suggested canned chicken broth I used approximately 5 cups of chicken broth. I followed others' suggestions and simmered it for about 30-45 minutes. Even my husband who is not normally a big fan of soups thought this was a good recipe. This is an easy to follow recipe with simple ingredients and preparation and it's good for stretching the grocery budget a little farther.
Added quite a bit more spinach than the recipe called for-tasted great
So easy to make and so good. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. Will make this over and over again.
This was okay but nothing stands out about it to make me want to make it again other than that it was quick to throw together.
