This thick, hearty soup is so easy and delicious – it’s almost like a stew! I don’t know about you, but to me, there’s nothing as satisfying as a big warm bowl of soup on a cool, crisp night. YUM!
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups of soaked & cooked white beans (or two 15oz cans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh organic baby spinach leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 1 14.5oz can of organic diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (we like Muir Glen brand)
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of thinly sliced organic zucchini
- Optional: 1/2 cup your favorite elbow pasta (if grain-free, omit)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of beans and mash well with a fork, set aside. (This will help to thicken the soup.) Remove stems from spinach and rough chop; set aside.
- Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and becomes translucent. Add salt, pepper, tomato paste, whole beans and mashed beans. Cook, stirring until beans are well coated with tomato paste.
- Add diced tomatoes with juice, water, thyme, red pepper flakes, sliced zucchini and pasta (if using). Bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.
- Turn off heat. Add chopped spinach leaves, stir and cover. Allow soup to sit about 5 minutes before serving. (Soup will thicken as it rests.) Enjoy this soup with your favorite hot, crusty rolls – we love sourdough rolls with lots of cultured butter! (Recipe inspired by Everyday Food.)
Hi Kelly, I was wondering, Do I add the pasta to the soup pre-cooked or do I add it raw? I know it seems like an obvious question but it’s my first time cooking! It looks so healthy and delicious. After I read it last night, I instantly went out the the grocery store and bought all the ingredients so I could make it tonight. Thank You for posting all your recipe’s and meal plans! It really is a life saver and I love that it’s all healthy. My husband will be so happy when he see’s I can finally cook.
Hi. Eden! That’s great that you’re wanting to start cooking for your hubby. As far as your question, you can do either. You can add the uncooked pasta to the soup and cook it with the soup, as described in step #3, or you can add leftover already cooked pasta shells or elbows at the end of the cook time to warm them up. You would do this in step 4 – just toss in the spinach and your already cooked leftover pasta shells/elbows. Of course, you want to be sure the leftover pasta you’re using is plain (no sauces on it). Hope this helps clarify. Lots of blessings, Kelly
Thanks for the swift response Kelly! I’m going to try it the way you intended, in the original recipe(putting the pasta in uncooked at step #3). Bless you
You are so welcome! Hope you and your hubby enjoy it. Blessings, Kelly