Photo by Karen Keb
The pasta and rice in this soup lend a pleasing, almost stew-like thickness to the dish. If you want the soup thinner, simply omit them.
Ingredients
- 1 pound onions, shallots, red onions, or Vidalias, etc.
- 1 pound chopped carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, or celery root, etc.
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3 cups peeled, chopped potatoes
- 4 to 5 cups chopped greens (Tuscan kale, chard, spinach, or collards, etc.)
- 1 pound cubed squash, pumpkin, or sweet potatoes
- 12 cups water, plus more if necessary
- 3 cups canned whole tomatoes in juice or diced tomatoes
- 1 cup uncooked grains (long-grain rice, rinsed quinoa, barley, or wheat berries, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 6 sprigs fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, etc.) tied with a piece of kitchen twine
- 1 cup uncooked pasta (any small shape)
- 2 cups cooked beans (garbanzo, kidney, Hutterite, or Borlotti, etc.)
Directions
- 1. Combine all ingredients except pasta and beans in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until tender and thickened, 3 hours, adding additional water by the cupful if necessary.
- 2. Add the pasta and beans and cook until tender, an additional 15 minutes.
- 3. Remove herb bundle, serve as much soup as you want, then cool soup and freeze in small batches. Soup can be stored in freezer, in airtight containers, for up to 3 months.
