Hearty Tomato Bean Soup

I first came across this recipe while watching "Giada At Home."  Since then, I have made it a few times, each time changing something about the recipe to suit my tastes or to accommodate the ingredients I had at the time.  This soup is so healthy, hearty, and delicious that I don't believe I will ever go back to buying tomato soup in a can or box again!  Did I mention that it is also incredibly simple to make?  Read ahead and you'll see for yourself!
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Hearty Tomato Bean Soup


Ingredients:

1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 carrots, or 1 cup baby carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Parsley
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon basil
Pinch of salt

1 - 28oz. can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 4 cups of water


Directions:

Rinse the cannellini beans in a colander under cold water.  Let drain.

Next, chop the onion, garlic, and carrots.  Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onion, carrots, and a pinch of salt to the pan and saute until tender (about 10 minutes).  Add the garlic to the pan and saute an additional 1-2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, red pepper flakes, and basil.

Stir in the drained cannellini beans, the can of tomato sauce, and 4 cups of chicken broth.

Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.  About 10 minutes before serving, add a 1/2 cup of dry, short-cut pasta to the soup and simmer over medium-high heat until al dente.

I have used a different kind of short pasta each time I've made this soup.  Because I have an open box of rainbow rotini in my pantry, I will be adding a 1/2 cup of this pasta to the soup tonight.

Note:  If you have a low tolerance for spicy food, feel free to cut back on the amount of red pepper flakes you use.  If you have fresh herbs, by all means use them, because there's nothing like fresh herbs and spices to take any meal to the next level of flavor!

Serve this soup with a side of crusty bread and you are good to go!  It is a wonderfully rustic one-pot meal that is sure to leave you full and satisfied at the end of the day.  Any leftovers you may have are wonderful warmed up for lunch or dinner another day.

Enjoy!

Librarian turned Foodie