soup, salad, and shortcuts

Pasta e Fagioli Soup & Spring Green Salad with Pear and Cranberry

Pasta e Fagioli Soup is a favorite of mine! It is often described as an Italian chili, or a meaty minestrone. I fell in love with this hearty soup at the Olive Garden restaurant, and I decided I needed to make it at home. After a couple of tries, I was able to duplicate the recipe pretty well. The biggest bonus to cooking this soup at home: it gets better every day, and you will have leftovers (I think leftovers are the BEST!).

Spring Green Salad with Pear and Cranberry

Bag of fresh Spring Green Salad Mix
2 Pears (cubed)
1 cup Dried, Sweetened Cranberries (Craisins)
1 cup Walnuts (halved)
Gorgonzola Cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette (Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Toast walnuts in a dry sauté pan over medium-low heat. When you can smell them, pull them off of the heat (walnuts are high in oil, and can burn quickly). Chop pears into bite sized cubes. Empty salad greens into a large salad bowl; add pears, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and cheese. You may either decant the vinaigrette into a small gravy boat, or toss the salad immediately before serving with the dressing (if the greens hang out in the vinaigrette for too long, they will wilt).

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

** Shortcuts: We are all busy; but healthy, homemade food should not be put on the “back burner.” To make prepping for this soup easier, use pre-chopped celery, grated (salad) carrots, and stock in a box. I also keep diced onion in the freezer. I have found that it is just as easy to chop two onions, as it is to chop one. Dice one onion to use now, and dice a second onion to freeze for use later. You can also buy diced onions in the freezer section of you grocery store. **

2 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 diced sweet onion

1 1/2 cup julienned carrot

3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 boxes Beef Stock

2 cups dry Red Wine

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can Mild Rotel

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice

1 (27 ounce) can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans/ or cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

3 teaspoons sugar

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon thyme

1 Bay leaf

3/4 lb ditali pasta

Brown ground beef with a splash of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Drain off fat, but do not rinse. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, or until tender. Pour in red wine, and scrape the bottom of the pot to release all of the yummy, brown bits. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer until pasta is al dente. Don’t forget to remove bay leaf!

** Tip: This soup (like most) tastes better the next day. Prepare the soup the day before, and refrigerate; bring to a simmer and add pasta before serving. Cook until pasta is al dente. **

Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a piece of crusty bread for dipping.