Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

Aaliyah's&Aaron'sMum's Note:

A beautiful thick soup which I usually serve for lunch with a crisp salad and crusty bread. Added in after couple of reviewers have stated that the beans took a bit longer to cook for them, I have now mentioned in the instructions to cook longer, if necessary, till tender. Having said that, I have always cooked mine for an hour without any problem!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 225 g dried navy beans, soaked over-night (dried white haricot beans)
• 110 g small macaroni noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 3/4 liters chicken stock or 1 3/4 liters vegetable stock
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 75 g grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion with the crushed garlic for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the tomato puree and basil and stir in for another minute.
3. Drain the beans and add them into the saucepan alongwith the stock and bring the soup up to simmering point and then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or half hour more till the beans are cooked and tender.
4. After the beans have been cooked, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
5. Pour half the soup in a liquidiser and blend it.
6. Return the pureed half back into the pan with the remaining soup and bring it to simmering point.
7. Add in the macaroni and simmer for a further 12 minutes, stirring from time to time.
8. Remove from heat and serve immediately with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over.

Reviews

[Nanamir]

I love this soup but I make it with jars of beans and with a tablespoon of fresh Rosemary, finely chopped and the bruised before it's added to the soup. Delicious.

[Dreamer in Ontario]

I enjoyed this soup more than DD. I've averaged our ratings giving mine more weight. I thought the soup was delicious. The beans did take longer to cook than the recipe states.

[Chef Kate]

A very rich and thick and sustaining sort of soup. I did add diced tomatoes in their juice instead of the puree (and a bit more than 3 tablespoons)and I added in some parmesan rind (I always save them for soups and stews). My only other deviation was to cook the soup for longer than directed as it took a while for my beans to soften. The result is a wonderful soup enjoyed by all on this cold and snowy day.