Hearty Organic Spinach and Bean Soup

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, we all start to heat indoors.  The warmth of the house is a comfort after the months of summer heat.  Long pants and sweaters are a welcome change in the wardrobe.  The best part of coming home in the dark is knowing that there is a hearty,warm dinner waiting. 

Tonight I made soup for dinner.  It was full of veggies, beans and best of all, ready in a half hour.  It can be dinner on its own or with a sandwich.  Of course, it makes a great lunch as well. 


Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces fresh organic spinach
8 cups organic chicken broth
1 4" parmigiano reggiano cheese rind
1 TBS salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups organic farfallini (baby bow ties), or other small pasta
1 14 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans of organic great northern (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh organic parsley
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus more for grating on top

Directions:

Add olive oil to large soup pot and heat on medium heat.  Once hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft, but not brown. 

1 cup chopped onions

3 cloves chopped garlic

Onions ready for the garlic, then spinach

Lower heat to medium-low and add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Do not burn the garlic.  Add the spinach.  Stir to coat the spinach with the oil, onions and garlic and until the spinach is wilted down.  This should take 3-5 minutes.

Add spinach

Spinach wilted down and ready for broth

Add the chicken stock, turn the heat up to high.  Add the cheese rind, salt and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil.

Once the broth boils, add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beans, parsley and cheese.  Cook for 4-5 more minutes.

Tomatoes

Beans

The soup should be hot, the pasta cooked and the beans warmed through.  Ladle into a bowl and top with grated cheese.  Remember to remove the cheese rind.

Soup ready in the pot

Ladled into a bowl, topped with cheese and ready to eat!

Tips:

The cheese rind is added to bring flavor and body to the broth.  It adds a richness that cannot be obtained any other way.  You can omit it, but the broth will be missing something.  I save the rinds from cheese that I use up and then keep them in a Ziploc bag until I make soups.  I use it in many soups made with broth.

The recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth. 

You do not need to use organic ingredients for this to be a great soup.

Do not overcook the beans or else they will fall apart and get mealy.  Add them at the end.

Freeze the extra soup for future meals.