speedylicious

So the clock says 6:30 PM and I'm just now entering the kitchen to fix dinner after a full day of work and taking Miss M to piano lessons. It's dark and gloomy and absolutely freezing cold outside and all I would like to do is crawl under a blanket and hibernate. But, my sweeties have grumbling tummies and I've got to make something good to warm all of our souls.

Enter Pasta Bean Soup. This is definitely a family favorite - I can whip it up quick and it's absolutely delicious. This anytime soup relies on the use of a prepared soup base and some creative additions ("Flair" if you will. Just a little somethin' I learned from Office Space). Here's my simple recipe:

Pasta Bean Soup

1 cup Barilla Plus rotini
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped organic tomatoes
1 container (quart size) organic creamy tomato basil soup (we love Harry's brand from Costco)

I've also tried Pacific brand creamy tomato and it's good, too. There's lots of different options on the market - my dear friend Kelly has served me a fabulous soup using a tomato/roasted red pepper base. Check out Whole Foods for some tasty choices.

Grab your big soup pot, fill with only 1 inch of water, and set to boil. Add the rotini, drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking and simmer away until almost completely done. (I love using this pasta because of it's incredible protein, omega 3, and fiber value. Just note that it really needs to cook a bit before adding to soups, otherwise it's too tough. Cook in the minimum water needed so that your soup is not too watered down.) Toss in the garbanzo beans and tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Finally, pour in your soup base, turn the heat down, cover, and let it bubble for 10 minutes or so while you get the rest of your meal ready.

Tonight, I paired our soup with quick garlic biscuits and fresh, chopped veggies.

Gather the fam, ladle out your steaming soup, and watch their spirits rise. There's really nothing like a great bowl of soup on a winter's night. And, best of all, dinner was served at 6:59 PM.

 

Speedylicious!