To me, nothing soothes falling temperature better than a nice warm bowl of soup! Here in Chicagoland we had an amazing streak of warm weather for November. I think on Election day it even got into the 70’s! But now that streak is gone, and we might even be getting some flurries tonight. So since it feels more like fall here again, I thought I’d share some soups I made recently.
All these soups are super quick to make because I used box stocks, and canned beans. I love the convenience of the stocks, and always keep quite a few in my pantry. Gone are the days of the high sodium ones! Although nothing beats a good homemade stock, in a pinch you can have a good quality meal using these, and no one would know that you didn’t simmer it for hours!
Minestrone is a soup where any vegetable of your choice would be good. I always like to start out with my ” soffritto” of garlic, onions, carrots, and celery sauteed in olive oil. Add the herbs of your choice, and then, every thing else. My ingredients here were… 1 1/2 cans of cannellini beans… 1/2 can of chickpeas, all being rinsed and drained…1 14 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes… 4 0r 5 diced zucchini… 1 diced potato… baby spinach or chard…2 boxes of chicken stock, or veggie, (each box is 1 quart)… 1 cup or more, of parmesan cheese… dried thyme and a little rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, along with a little frozen pesto I had. When everything is all cooked together, in the end I would add your cooked pasta. Here I used ditalini.
Always finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and more grated cheese, a dollop of pesto or fresh basil!
Here you can use some leftover cooked ham, pancetta, or in this case I purchased a cooked ham steak, one that was good quality and not salty. Same “soffritto” as above… dried rosemary, basil, and thyme… 1 small can of fire roasted, or diced tomatoes… 2 boxes of stock… 2 to 3 cans of beans… I used great northern white beans, but navy would be good also… As it simmers the beans thicken the soup. Garnish with grated cheese and basil.
A 12 0z. bag of frozen artichoke hearts were used here, tossed in a pot with garlic and onion…
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
the artichoke soup recipe sounds great. I just happen to have a bag of frozen artichokes in the freezer. Thanks.
Oh boy! Now I’m craving Minestrone. It looks amazing (as do they all). I haven’t made it in years, but the weather is dipping into the 40s this week, so….soup it is!
I’ll have a bowl of each please, with extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top, of course!
Great soup recipes! Up here on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, we love fall soups to keep us warm from the cold Atlantic breeze from Chedabucto Bay. Our Chef has created a popular soup with sweet potatoes and Nova Scotia maple syrup. You can get a copy online at:
http://www.desbarresmanor.com/dining
Oh, these are lovely! The artichoke soup looks great; I wouldn’t strain it either. The bean and ham soup is just perfect for the fall (I was just looking at recipes for bean and ham soup today :-)), and I love that ditalini pasta that you used in the minestrone. YUM!
Do you think my family will be offended if I serve soup in summer…there is now way that I can wait for winter before I try these delicious recipes!
Mmm… These soups look wonderful! I’ll be making these very soon. Today is the perfect day for soup here in San Jose. Oh, I love it – the toughest decision I have to make today is which soup to make! Thank you for the inspiration.
xoxox Amy
I will take a bowl of the white bean and ham please.
Oh YUM Marie.. I am coming for dinner!! And yes, soups are so soothing! Let me tell you something funny.. ok, not so funny but your gonna want to bottle some of your soup up and send it to me! 🙂
Friday I bought some acorn squash and decided I was going to make your roasted squash recipe with the balsamic glaze.. My squash was in the oven and my balsamic was on the stove. I was watching it until my little Bella started screaming.. she fell and twisted her wrist. To make a long story short, my balsamic glaze turned into bitter tar and my squash didn’t make it through either. And Bella ended up at the ER .. for six hours! 🙂 She came home in a splint but thank God it isn’t broken!!
So, Soup Please!!! 🙂
Oh my heavens. This might be my favorite post of the week! 🙂
You always give is more bang for the buck…this time 3 knock-out soups…Obama would love’em all too!
This all look so good , I’ve got my eye on that ham and bean soup. I’ve got everything to make it, Thanks!
Each one of these soups look so very good and appetizing and I want some 😉
Those boxed broths are a lifesaver and always stocked here too!
Oh that minestrone! You used a really good pasta in that one. I can’t find that kind where I live. I just stocked up on beef & chicken stock for the winter and I’m ready.
Marie you know me and my unnatural love of soups so I LOVE all of these:)
Marie- MMMMM soups… love em- any season of the year… but there is something special about soup this time of year… these look great… I love pesto and a little drop on top of my soup… that would be perfect- I never thought of it…
I watched the trailer for “Everybody Wants to be Italian” on your site again… I really want to see this movie- I mean, I have always known its true; havent WE all known it??- but this movie looks great… I’ll have to keep an eye out for it…
Thanks so much …
Johnny T
Mmmm love a good soup when it starts getting cold.. Great soups Marie….the artichoke one is new to me…gotta try it!!
Buon Appeetito!!
Happy, Hi and Thank you!
Lisa,Thats what I use too, TJ’s
Faery, Thanks I love minestrone too!
Hi Barbara, thanks 🙂
Hi Donna, a good book sounds great, cookbook for me!
Hi Bunny and welcome, that hot chocolate sounds good right about now!
Ohio, Thank You!
Theresa, Awwww, thanks!
Pat, I use Trader Joes, and I checked out your soup too! Yummm!
Thanks Giz!!
Michelle, Your soup posts inspire me!
Maryann, Are you kidding me! I got him trained! lol
Katie, Lucky you!
Stace, Tell Henry I’m coming!!
Scintilla, Your kids really know how to eat!
Val, Watcha makin?
Deeba, Come on over!
Lori Lynn, I love every season, but winter. Too cold here, brrrr!!
WENF, Thats a great idea!
Judy, If you like artichokes you’ll love it! ( I hope)
Hi Dazi!
Cathy, a soup marathon sounds like fun, can I come?
Hi Gloria, xox
Sophie, Of course you could use it, why not!
I love this soup entry! I noticed you use chicken broth in your minestrone…but I have some beef broth left over in the fridge, would it be a bad idea to use it in the minestrone? I’d hat to throw it away…maybe I could use it in another soup? (funny thing is, I don’t have anymore beef left, just broth :)!
Yourm minestrone Marie, look so tasty and yummy, all the soups, we love soups, Winter and summer !! (We eat them at night) xxGloria
Oh my, I don’t know which to make first! Maybe I’ll just have to make them all in a soup-making marathon, and freeze some. It is even going to dip into the 30s tonight here in ‘Bama, so there is no question that soup weather has arrived. These all look WONDERFUL, Marie!!
MINESTRONE… YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
Great looking soups! We usually have soup every Sunday. One day that’s nice and simple. I have to try the artichoke soup!
mmmm. that artichoke soup is calling my name. i wonder how that would be chilled?
You are a woman after my own heart, Marie. Love soup and love convenience. The garnishes look great.
So you are getting ready for another Chicago winter, eh?
Hearty soups you’re serving here Marie…I’m comin’ over! Love the topping suggestions…slurrrrrrrrrp!
It is soups season for sure. I am making a soup on Sunday that will hopefully last a few days to take to work:D
Mmm for minestrone…
I never thought of adding pesto, but as I put a canned tomatoes into the soffritto, I usually add fresh basil too. The pulses make such a difference to the taste don’t they?
My kids always want the croutons with their soups if I don’t add pasta- diced stale bread, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, origano and crushed garlic then toasted in the oven.
Your photos are always fantastic!
Hi Marie.
Come over and make Henry his favorite minestrone!!!!
I make pasta fagioli w/ chic peas and it’s like a combo of your 2 bean soup and minestrone. LOVE it!
Stace
I can’t believe how easy all of these are! Soup sounds wonderful, it was in the 40s here last night (I know, I know, but it’s Houston-I’m unprepared). I really miss Chicago this time of year but in February you better believe I am grateful every day to have moved south!
I love how you topped it with pesto!
btw, Is the hubby getting tired of you photographing everything you eat yet? haha 😉
(they get used to it after awhile)
Okay, you say soup and you know you’ve got my attention. Beautiful pics! And I bet they taste as good as they look. You’re putting my blog to shame. I’m going to try all of these. Thanks!
That white bean and ham soup looks absolutely out of control. I love it.
Hi marie!
We must have been on the same wave length thinking about a good hearty bowl of soup when the temperatures became chilly — love both of yours! Just curious, what brand stock to you buy? Hugs, Pat
These types of soups just warm our hearts!
Like you, we have had spring-like weather here too, I was just thinking today that now that the temps have cooled and the rain has arrived a pot of soup is called for.
I love all of these!
Oh my, your soups look so warm and comforting. I can’t believe how beautiful the weather has been the last few days and now tonight we may get flurries.
I’m curled up with a nice cup of hot chocolate right now and possibly a cup of soup tomorrow when the weather really turns nasty.
Found you via Darius’ blog.
YUMO!!! Doesn’t the soups just make you want to have a bowl and curl up with a good book… Thanks for these yummy ideas…
(((HUGS)))
Donna
It’s soothing just looking at those luscious soup photos, Marie — bella!
They all look yummy but my favorite is the minestrone it looks sooo delicious.
All three of these soups look great. I love the convenience of boxed stock. I use the Trader Joe’s low sodium all the time.
Here to soups are welcome as it is getting cold.
I love that bean and ham soup.