Homemade Soup

Sorry for the hiatus! We were off in Scotland and England. I finally sampled some haggis, which was not at all what I expected, and delicious. Now for today's recipe...this is one straight from my mom, and done frequently from memory, so you'll have to understand that a lot of the measurements are approximate. This is a soup that my mom made when I was a kid in order to use up leftover tomato sauce and other tidbits. I suppose you could say this is a sort of vegetable soup, or Minestrone. In principle though it is truly a soup of leftovers because you can add anything you want, but I generally follow this formula: tomato sauce + potato + red bean + white bean + pasta + extras (usually green veggie). My mom often changed the "extras", sometimes adding frozen veggie medleys, leftover meatballs or sausage, or fresh veggies like zucchini. Of course, depending on what you decide to add, this is a generally well balanced and healthy meal.

Homemade Soup
time: about 45+ min(30 min prep)
servings: 6ish

- 1 jar (24oz) tomato sauce (yes, choice of sauce is really important because it adds seasoning. I love Classico Four Cheese - perfect blend of flavor and the traces of cheese add some salt. Use this if you can get it.)
- 96oz water (conveniently, fill up that jar 4 times and you get the proper amount, plus clean out all the sauce)
- 2 medium potatoes (russet baking work well)
- about 6-7oz soup pasta (less than half of a standard 1lb bag) like small shells, small bow ties, or ditalini
- 1 can (16oz) dark red kidney beans
- 1 can (16oz) great northern or garbanzo (chic peas) beans
- 1 can (14.5-16oz) cut green beans (or fresh, see "variations")
- white pepper (this can be a little expensive. Black pepper is a fine substitute, but I prefer the different flavor of white when available)
- italian seasoning
- 1 small bay leaf (or half large)
- salt

Dump the sauce into a large pot - at least 5 quarts. Add the water and stir until blended. Shake in some white pepper (about 4-5 good shakes) and italian seasoning (8-9 good shakes), add the bay leaf, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt (more salt if you use sauce without cheese). All the seasoning is to taste, so you should really do this by adding a little, stirring, tasting, repeat, until you find what you like. Stir, cover, and heat on high until boiling. While waiting, peel, rinse, and cut up the potatoes. How small? Whatever you like, but the smaller the potato the faster it cooks (however tiny pieces really aren't appealing, I think). Boiling should take about ten minutes; when ready add the potatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Let the potatoes soften for about ten minutes (cover pot). After the wait, stir in the pasta. Continue stirring for a minute or two to prevent sticking and then stir occasionally while you wait another ten minutes (NOT covered). Meanwhile, drain and rinse all three beans. Combine in a medium bowl, mixing well. When the ten minutes has passed, add about 2/3 to 3/4 of the mixture to the soup. Turn the soup to low and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes (or longer). I like to add a little grated parmesan to each bowl when serving. Cooling and storing: don't stick the whole pot directly in your fridge! Keep the lid off and let it cool for a couple hours. The pasta will continue to absorb water and expand, so don't be alarmed (but that's why you should be careful not to add too much pasta). Then divide in smaller containers for the fridge or freezer. P.S. don't eat the bay leaf.


variations
When I add extras, I usually replace the canned green beans entirely:
- if using tough fresh veggies like green beans, add after the potatoes and before the pasta. You'll need to wait another ten minutes in between each ingredient. By the way, kitchen scissors make snipping the ends and cutting up a breeze.
- soft fresh veggies like zucchini should go in with the beans
- very delicate fresh veggies like spinach or kale should go in about 5 minutes before serving
- frozen veggies can be added after the pasta, wait a few minutes before adding the beans
- cooked meats can be added a little before the beans



bonus: tri-bean salad
What to do with those leftover beans? Add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mix well, refrigerate for a bit, and enjoy!