What's For Dinner? Italian White Bean Soup

WFD??  (That will be the official abbreviation for What's For Dinner btw)

This is a recipe I make all the time.  Like when I have no idea what I want to make for dinner and it's 5:30 and I haven't been to the store and I have a toddler at my heels asking for peanut butter and jelly and ice cream....

Usually because I keep these ingredients on hand all the time.

Anyway, it's super easy and takes under 30 minutes to make.

Italian White Bean Soup

1 TBSP Olive Oil
3 oz pancetta, sliced thin and chopped
1 c onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (about 1c)
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 15oz can petit diced tomatoes, with juices
2 TBSP chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp pepper
6 c. fat free low sodium chicken broth (or 4c chicken broth and 2c water)
2 inch parmesan rind
2 bay leaves
2/3 c. ditalini pasta
1 15oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1c swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves chopped (or 1c chopped fresh spinach)
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley


Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven.  Add pancetta and saute till it just starts to brown.  Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan and saute till softened.  Add the can of tomatoes with the juice and the oregano.  Cook 1 minute.  Then add chicken broth, bay leaves and parmesan rind.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Add pasta and reduce heat to just boiling (we want to keep as much liquid from evaporating off as possible..)  Cook for 8 minutes (or until pasta is 2 minutes shy of al dente).  Add chickpeas and swiss chard.  Cook 2 minutes till swiss chard is wilted, pasta is cooked, and chickpeas are heated through.  Remove from heat.  Remove parmesan rind and bay leaves.  Add parsley, vinegar and salt.
Top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with a good crusty bread.

I know it might be tempting to skip the vinegar but DON'T!  It makes the whole dish.  Reduce it down a tsp or so but don't leave it out.  That would be sad, and the soup gods would weep.

Don't make the soup gods weep.



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