Cooking for Pleasure: Italian-Style Pasta Bean Soup

Soup with cheese and toaster french bread. (Photo by Patty Schied)

By Patty Schied

Many years ago, I purchased an Italian soup cookbook that had several versions of this recipe. It occurred to me then that the recipes in the book were probably developed based on whatever ingredients the family cook had available at the time. So, when I didn’t see exactly what I wanted to make, I came up with this one that I have made frequently for the past twenty years. The melding of flavors from vegetables, seasonings and sausage simmered in a tomato/chicken broth mixture with beans and pasta added at the end make for a full meal. Especially when served with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and toasted French bread slices. This makes a huge pot of soup: three to four quarts. That’s a lot. But it is one of those soups where everyone wants seconds.

This recipe requires a lot of different vegetables, all available locally. If you can’t find a decent fennel at the market, you can skip it, although it really adds to the mix of flavors. Once you have tasted it, you’ll find it irresistible.

Ingredients:

2-6 cloves of minced garlic (depending upon your passion for garlic)

1 fresh fennel (anise) trimmed, core removed and chopped

1 large or two medium onions, chopped

1 to 2 leeks, sliced thin and rinsed, white part only

1 small head of cabbage, shredded (if cabbage is large, only use half)

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot (this makes about 4 quarts of soup, so it’s best to use your largest pot.  Add chopped onions and saute until just soft.  Add garlic, leek, fennel and cabbage. 

Stir to mix. Place lid on pot and cook at medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft.

Veggies in the soup pot. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Add:

1 large can of Italian tomatoes (28 oz), chopped

6 cups or three cans of chicken broth

Bring to a boil and reduce the temperature to a simmer.

Add:

1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

1 crushed red pepper (optional)

½ pound of Italian sausage, cooked into bite-sized pieces (optional for vegetarians)

Simmer for 45 minutes, covered. 

Soup in pot. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Then add:

1 cup cooked small pasta such as ditalini, orzo, or mini farfalle

1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.

At this point, the soup is ready to eat. It is best served with lots of fresh grated Parmesan cheese and toasted croutons or warm French bread.

Any leftovers are even better the next day. This soup freezes very well.

This is a perfect meal for luncheon guests since it can be made a day ahead. 

• Patty Schied is a longtime Juneau resident who studied at the Cordon Bleu in London and has written a cookbook. Cooking For Pleasure appears every other week in the Juneau Independent's features. She welcomes questions about her column at patschied@yahoo.com.