White Bean and Pasta Soup

Right before Man came home, I had a couple of my girlfriends over for dinner! This is what I made, and it was very yummy!! I didn't take a picture of it that day, but I did shoot a few pictures of it the next day. However, I had just gotten back from the pool with the little one, and the lens fogged up for a little bit, so this picture is a bit, shall we say dream like? Don't let the fuzzy image fool you, it was delicious!!

Here is what I did;

This recipe takes about an hour to prep and cook.

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 red potatoes, chopped

2 large handfuls kale, chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water, whatever you want.

1 bag cooked and frozen Great Northern beans, with liquid (If you're using canned, drain liquid and add 1/2 cup water or chicken stock)

1 bag cooked and frozen Red Kidney beans, with liquid (Same deal as the white ones if you use canned)

1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 cup whole wheat macaroni or other small cut pasta

mozzarella cheese

fresh parmesan cheese

oregano

basil

Spray a large pot with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, carrot, celery, and potato, seasoned with salt and pepper, until starting to soften, 5 minutes. Add kale and saute an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted. Add red pepper flakes, stock, beans, and tomato and simmer 30 minutes. Bring back to a boil, add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Add additional water as the pasta cooks if the soup becomes too thick. Taste for seasoning and readjust accordingly.

Ladel into bowls and grate mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over top, tear oregano and basil with your hands and sprinkle over the top. Devour! It's fantastic!!

This recipe serves 8.