A warming and just hearty enough soup for the early days of Fall...
-Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a soup pot and saute 1 chopped medium onion, 2 chopped celery stalks and 3 chopped garlic cloves until tender. Add 1 can (28 ounce) of canned tomatoes and cook over medium heat. Break the tomatoes into smaller pieces with a spoon.
Cover this and cook for about 15 minutes and stir occasionally if you remember! Add a 15 ounce can of white beans with their liquid, 3 and a half cups of water, and salt and ground pepper to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes.
Add one cup of small pasta shells to the soup and cook until shells are done. Ladle into pretty bowls, add coursely chopped basil leaves and serve with a crusty loaf, crackers or corn bread! Ladle a second helping when finished with the first...
*Did you know?
-when beans are combined with grains such as pasta or barley, they form complete (and easily digestible) proteins? They also really help to amp up the flavor of soups and thicken the stock.
-onions not only add pungency to your soup but are also a good source of vitamin C.
