Not Your Nonna's Fagiole (Bean) Soup

Lately I’m dropping beans into bowls like they’re hot …

1) ’Cause they’re easy to cook (hello, can opener!) and prepare well ahead of time.

2) They’re inexpensive, while also being filling. See more on #3

3) Finally, they add a meatless, high fiber protein pop to mealtime.

4) If you don’t hound the pot in week, they freeze REALLY WELL.

Having grown up in a bean friendly home, cooking them for dinner - whether prepping ahead or cooking on the fly - has become second nature. My nonna had her standard of carrots, tomato, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Celery if and only if she was up for more chopping. And, then there were of course, the healthy heaps of love and yelling at grandpa. No meal was complete with every one of her emotions going into it.

While I harken her ways and her spirit, she’d be proud I’ve made these beans my own. Now, imagine taking a 35 minute pot of soup on a joy ride to flavor town when you finish it with lemon zest and pecorino for a citrus meets salty palate pleasing explosion? I think she would have loved this addition to her soup. And in a day where I could my nonna leaned over and chopping, she’d also appreciate the use of a food processor for the carrot and onion chopping as it really speeds up the process. The super chopped veggies also add a whole lot of texture to every spoonful of this soup.

In a world of mediocre take-out, with the exception of my beloved sushi and sushi pizza, I would prefer to prep a little and have the option to dive into my freezer when the night calls for it. This soup was frozen from last weeks cook and reheated for dinner tonight. Nonna would be proud of that too.

XO

Zesty Fagiole Soup

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can of cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed (you can also use large butter beans, yum)
1 can of chickpeas (you can also use kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1-2 cups of grape tomatoes, cut in half or 1 can of diced tomatoes
3-4 cups of low sodium chicken or veggie stock
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 cup of grated pecorino cheese
Zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of juice
Green of choice, I went for handfuls of baby wild arugula ‘cause that’s what I had in my fridge!

Add olive oil, carrots, onions and spices to a medium stock pot and sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer, lower flame and add beans - continuing to cook for another 15 minutes. Finish with lemon zest, squeeze of lemon and mix in pecorino and arugula; mixing until arugula melts. Serve with rice, pasta, or eat as is.