I love a good, hearty soup in the winter. I like something filling but not fatty, and packed with veggies, which is especially lovely after the over-indulgences of the holidays. I was in the mood for a get-me-back-on-track meal and this soup really fit the bill. It’s also pretty simple to cook and comes together fast. It doesn’t need anything at all to go with it and still feel satisfying, but you could pair it with a good quality sourdough and really put it over the top. I love that I got to use some of the curly kale I’ve got growing in my backyard garden plat- love those winter veggies! If you don’t have kale, fresh spinach will work as well. I also used nutritional yeast, a vegan mainstay because it imparts a cheesy, umami type flavor but if you don’t have it, you can omit it no problem.
This is such a hearty, versatile soup I can see myself serving this at a casual dinner party with the aforementioned sourdough and a nice red wine. Yum. But for me it fit the bill as a delicious, filling, healthy bowl of soup while curled up in front of a marathon viewing of Parks and Recreation while it rained buckets outside. Perfection.
Ingredients:
1 bag of dried red kidney beans, cooked -or- 3 cans red kidney beans
1 26 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 16 oz box of pasta shells, gluten free if desired
6 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, finely minced
3T (or more) powdered garlic
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 teaspoon powdered sage
3 teaspoons dried basil leaves
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt (optional or to taste)
One medium bunch kale, chopped (remove stems if needed) -or- the same amount fresh spinach
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste’
Directions:
Start cooking the pasta shells according to manufacturer’s instructions. While that cooks, sauté the onion and celery in a non-stick skillet until the onion begins to caramelize. Once finished, add the celery & onion and all other ingredients to a large stockpot and bring to a gentle boil. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the stockpot. Simmer for around 15 minutes and adjust any seasonings you might want to. I love garlic so I usually add lots, but you can also add more sage or nutritional yeast. Remove the three bay leaves and serve.
Serves 6-8
Pasta e Fagoli
Ingredients
- 1 bag of dried red kidney beans cooked -or- 3 cans red kidney beans
- 1 26 ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 16 oz box of pasta shells gluten free if desired
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion finely minced
- 3 T or more powdered garlic
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 teaspoon powdered sage
- 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt optional or to taste
- One medium bunch kale chopped (remove stems if needed) -or- the same amount fresh spinach
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start cooking the pasta shells according to manufacturer's instructions.
- , While that cooks, sauté the onion and celery in a non-stick skillet until the onion begins to caramelize.
- Once finished, add the celery & onion and all other ingredients to a large stockpot and bring to a gentle boil.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the stockpot. Simmer for around 15 minutes and adjust any seasonings you might want to. (I love garlic so I usually add lots, but you can also add more sage or nutritional yeast. )
- Remove the three bay leaves and serve.
This sounds and looks really good. I have never made a pasta e fagoli before but I am going to have to try this recipe. It does look really feeling too. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, soup in the winter is definitely one of the best things. This does sound like a good option to get back on track after a busy holiday season.
Oh I would love this for a winter warmer. I love all the chunky veg and pasta in soups like this, they’re always so delicious.
Ow I didn’t try this one looks yummy. I think it’s taste like macaroni. Thank you for sharing this, I’ll put it on my list.
I love this dish! I get it at Olive Garden a lot and am excited to now be able to make it at home. Thanks for sharing!
oh yummy love the look of this pasta, I have been thinking about cooking tonight and can not decide what to cook so this might be lending a hand
I, too, love a hearty soup packed with veggies in the winter. This sounds like such a delicious, simple meal. Thanks for sharing!
Okay Amy, I am trying so hard to get with you on the meatless thing but a few things are really stopping me. One is that I grew up eating my Moms Homemade Soup and would shop with her when she went to the Butchers to get them to cut her a fresh soup bone to put inside of her soup pot, so I can tell you that here soup had beef in it. Maybe not tons but it had a good flow of shreds throughout. The next reason I can not get on board with the no meat thing is just because I love it! I am a carnivore and proud of it. Now, I’m with you on going for the simplicity of a good full pot of veggies with lots of flavor but hold all the pasta. I cooked Kale for New Year instead of cabbage or greens and I must say thanks to my Nursing Professors for turning me onto this green. My Mother never cooked it and I had never heard of it until I was in Nursing School learning Nutrition and it kind of stuck. Thanks for sharing this, I have to share it with the Ellebstyles Website. She has a good juicing recipe over there you should check out.
Omg this dish looks beyond delicious!!! I’m starving to death right now so I’m going to be thinking about this until dinner lol
This looks so amazing, I love anything with seashell pasta in it. One of my favorite and simple dishes is seashell pasta, diced tomatoes and sliced sausage. I’m going to have to try your recipe SOON.
This looks absolutely delicious! I love pasta and kale together, so this is right up my alley!
This looks scrumptious! We were discussing last night how we need to cut back on meat, this will make a perfect start to our resolution!
This looks like a delicious dish. This would be a perfect dish for those cold winter nights!
You’re right, who doesn’t like a good hearty soup? especially this time of year and it does look really tasty!
i love a good winter soup too! 🙂 i haven’t tried any new dishes in a while.. i need to start getting back into the habit of that!
The soup looks so tasty. I like pasta in my soup since it can really absorb the flavors of the soup.
I love the fact that you used homegrown kale! Very easy to follow recipe and versatile as it allows some ingredients to be replaced.
Yum! This looks so tasty and easy! And any way I can add kale gets a thumbs up from me!
that looks delicious! I am guessing you could fix in the crockpot also, just not cooking the pasta first….
I haven’t made fasta e fagoli in ages – I’d love to try this with the nutritional yeast and kale – sounds yummy and healthy!
I’ve never tried cooking anything using nutritional yeast before. I’ll have to read up on that.