Pasta Fagioli Soup

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temps and pretty foliage, and I love being able to make a one pot meal that is super easy and tastes amazing.

My girlfriend Alia gave me this recipe. It's meant to be done in the slow cooker, but mine is pretty small, and I realized early on (after throwing a bunch of ingredients in) that it wouldn't fit. I threw everything into my big soup pot and brought it to a boil, reduced it to low, and let it cook for hours on the stove.

This was so good, and will be great for leftovers throughout the week. Now that I'm out teaching 2 (soon to be 3) nights a week, I like to have something easy for Matt to heat up for dinner.

I've also done a little fall decorating around the house. Trader Joe's has mini pumpkins and squash for on 69 cents. I bought a bunch and put them around pillar candles on my dining room table.

 

On our buffet table in the dining room, I added a glass container with fake artichokes and wine corks. I finally hung my favorite (target) missoni prints. They were such a steal, and I don't know why I didn't think to hang them there. It's the perfect spot! 

 



 

 

I found these cute little glass figurines for my mantel.

 

 

Enjoy the soup!

 

Pasta Fagioli

 

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 C carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped (I used 4)

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

4 C beef broth (I always use low sodium)

1 jar prepared pasta sauce

2 t oregano

1 T hot sauce

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 C dry pasta, add at the end of cooking time until done

 

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker, cut the recipe in half, or cook on the stovetop.

 

Brown the meat in a pan, drain well. While meat is cooking, chop up the veggies, add to the crock pot or large soup pot. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot. Add diced tomatoes with juice. Add in pasta sauce, beef broth, and seasonings. Once drained, add beef. Cook on low for 6-8 or high for about 4 hrs. Every crock pot is different, so keep an eye on your soup and taste to see when you think it's done.

 

This recipe is from my friend Alia, who originally found it on abcnews.com





Pumpkin Black Bean Soup/ Weekend pics

I've been trying to get some new recipes in my routine. We've been having so much of the same things lately. Tonight I made a pumpkin black bean soup that was so good. The only changes I made was an additional Tablespoon of curry (original recipe had 1 T), and I swapped the heavy cream for milk. It was just as good (I'm sure) and it cut a lot of calories and fat. The picture doesn't necessarily look too appetizing, but I promise it was delicious! I also added some sriracha on top. Try it.

*Edited- original link to recipe wasn't working. This was originally from food network, it's not a recipe of my own.

 

1 small onion

2 cans pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1carton veggie or chicken broth (I used chicken)

1 cup heavy cream (I used milk)

1 T curry powder (I used 2 T)

1 t cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Dice the onion and saute in olive oil until softened. Add all of the other ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Let this soup simmer on low for at least 30 minutes. I find soups have the best flavor when you turn the heat off, and put the lid on about 20 minutes before serving. When the soup is too hot, you simply can't taste the ingredients. 

This weekend, we packed up the family and headed to upstate New York for my cousin's wedding. The reception took place in a barn and was absolutely beautiful. Everything was very rustic and elegant. Connor was a trooper, and was so well behaved at the ceremony. He even hung out with his parents for a drink at a bar during the afternoon!

 

Connor selfie

 

This weekend was a lot of fun with my family. We spent a lot of time together with my parents, brother and sister in law. Connor loves them all, and has so much time with them.

 

Beautiful floral arrangements

 

Such a beautiful place!

 



 

 

 

Soup Sunday

One of my girlfriends always makes soup on Sunday to have for dinner, and then use as leftovers that week. I love the idea, and it makes lunch for a few days easy for me, especially since I'm at home now. One of our favorite soups is tomato basil. I always try to make recipes a little healthier, and used the recipe below with some modifications. The changes I made are bolded.

This soup was so good, and I will definitely add it into the Sunday rotation.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/dinner-tonight-nordstroms-tomato-basil-soup-recipe.html

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil (I used less, just enough to get the onion and carrots sauteing in the pan)
• 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed (I love fresh basil and added 1 cup loosely packed instead of dry)
• 3 28-ounce cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 pint heavy cream (I subbed light cream and used 1/2 just enough to give it, well, creaminess)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by chopping up the onion and carrots into a rough chop. Since you'll blend this at the end, nothing has to be chopped into any uniformity. 

Add the onion and carrots into a large pot with olive oil on the bottom. 

Let that saute until nicely browned, about 15 minutes on medium high heat. 

Add the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. I let this sit on the stove for over an hour on low to really reduce and let the flavors meld together. 

It helps if you have a cute sous chef!

Add the basil after soup has simmered- if you add it with the broth and tomatoes the basil flavor won't be as fresh. 

Using an immersion blender (or regular blender in batches), blend until smooth. 

Procedures

1. 1
   In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, 10 minutes, then add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 5 minutes more.
2. 2
   Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, or up to 45 minutes if time permits.
3. 3
   After allowing soup to cool somewhat, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth, doing so in batches if necessary. For a much silkier texture, strain the purée before returning to the pot.
4. 4
   Stir in cream little by little over over low heat, until desired texture is reached and soup is just heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.