Good morning, sweet friends and welcome to ‘At Table.’  I don’t know about you, but the opening quote truly makes me hope the “Soup is On.”

I love soup and Mike does also, but not quite as much as I do.  So for that reason, I have learned to prepare soups that will serve us for dinner and maybe lunch, but not a recipe which will feed us for a week.  As we all know, soup does have a tendency to grow when it is being prepared.

“Soup is the song of the hearth… and the home.”  ~ Louis P. De Gouy

Today, I am sharing three of our favorite soups.  As the days grow colder and busier with the holidays drawing near, I hope you will enjoy them.  They make a hearty and satisfying supper and are quick and easy.  Don’t forget the crusty bread or rolls. 

First up is ~ Chicken, Lemon, and Orzo soup.

Chicken, Lemon, and Orzo Soup

This recipe is especially a favorite.  But, who doesn’t love potatoes?  I am sharing it as I received it, but please note my changes.

 

Last, is a favorite of Mike’s. It is Pasta e Fagiolo Soup.  This recipe came to me from a woman I worked with many years ago.  It is supposed to be a copy of the Olive Garden Restaurant’s recipe.  Although she didn’t know for sure if it was, it is so delicious.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup 

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
• 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (I use a box, 48 oz. of chicken broth and skip the water)
• 1/2 cup water, then more as desired
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
• 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• Finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for serving
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

 – Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, crumble in ground beef cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through.

 – Drain fat from beef then transfer beef to a plate, set aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in the same pot.

 – Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until tender about 6 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

 – Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and cooked beef then season with salt and pepper to          taste.

 – Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with the lid and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.

 – Meanwhile, prepare ditalini pasta according to directions on the package, cooking to al dente.

 – Add cooked and drained pasta to soup along with kidney beans and great northern beans. Thin with a little more broth or water if desired.

 – Allow to cook 1 minute longer. Stir in parsley, serve warm with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Note:  If you don’t plan on eating all of the soup right away you may want to add the pasta to individual servings. Otherwise, pasta may get soggy and absorb too much broth.

Dear friends, I hope you will try these recipes.  And enjoy them as much as we do.  To me, soup is the all-time comfort food.  It holds great power, in my opinion. 

I will leave you with an interesting note, a quote I have had for many years.  It is from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook, the year 1518.  It was the last sentence written on a mathematical theorem.  It appears he enjoyed soup too.

 

Wishing you happy times in your kitchen and ‘At Your Table.’  

Don’t let the ‘soup get cold’ and Stay Well!

 

Bon Appétit,

Sandra

 

 

Note: Be sure to send me a message, should you have any questions about any of the recipes.

Images:  Pinterest,tumblr