Ingredients:

* 1 T olive oil
* 1 small onion, finely diced
* 1 T shallots, diced
* 1 – 2 ribs celery diced
* 1 cup zucchini, shredded or grated
* 2 T parsley, chopped (I used dried because it was dark and I didn’t feel like going out to the back in the dark for fresh.)
* 2 T basil, chopped (Again, I used dried because it was dark and I didn’t feel like going out to the back in the dark for fresh.)
* 1 small sprig rosemary
* 1 pint tomatoes (Whole, diced or milled smooth – whatever your texture preference. I am not big on texture so I milled mine into a smooth sauce.)
* 3 cups cannelloni beans (or kidney beans or even garbanzo beans), cooked or canned
* 1 t salt (You may need to use more if you are using cooked beans, rather than canned.)
* 5 cups vegetable stock
* 1 – 2 carrots, sliced into “coins”
* 4 ounces orzo pasta

Directions:

1. Saute the onion, shallots, celery, zucchini, parsley, basil, and rosemary in the olive oil until soft (between 5 and 10 minutes).
2. Add in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. If using whole tomatoes, use a spoon to break up the tomatoes into more edible chunks.
3. While the soup base is simmering (above) use a food processor to puree or a potato masher to mash one half (1.5 cups) of the beans into a paste.
4. After the five minutes of simmering, stir in the bean puree, the whole beans, the salt, and the vegetable stock.
5. Simmer strongly, uncovered, for 20 minutes. (Bonus: your house will smell fantastic after this step.)
6. Stir in the carrots and the orzo and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Taste test the soup for salt and to make sure the carrots and pasta have cooked to your desired tenderness.
8. Remove the rosemary sprig.
9. Serve hot (With shaved Parmesan cheese curls on top if you are feeling fancy).

Note: This recipe made enough for four good sized bowls of soup. Next time I think I’ll triple it to make enough to freeze.

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3 cups leek, thinly sliced
• 2 1/4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add leek; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. (Do not brown.)
3. Add potatoes, water, salt, and broth to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Add leeks.
5. Simmer uncovered for approximately 35 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and blend until desired consistency.
8. Stir in cream.
9. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with black pepper.

Ingredients

• 1.5 t olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 1 large vegetable bullion cube
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups cooked or canned black beans
• ½ bell pepper, diced
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t salt (not needed if you use canned beans)
• 1T lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil, onions, garlic, and celery in a large pot (preferably a cast iron Dutch oven).
2. Saute the onions, garlic, and celery in a large pot until just tender
3. Add the water and bullion to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Puree one half (1.5 cups) of the beans using or food processor or add to the soup and puree using an immersion blender.
5. Add the beans (pureed and whole) along with the bell pepper and cumin to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Turn off heat and stir in salt and lemon juice.
7. Enjoy.

Note: This recipe makes enough for one full dinner for two people. I almost always make a triple or quad batch and freeze the leftovers.