Baby, It's Cold Outside

Yesterday, I called VW to complain about the weather.  It was windy, rainy, and just generally miserable here where I live.  He commented to me that many people have dubbed this month "June-uary" because this has been the coldest June on record.  It's not that we haven't hit spring yet.  We did, but I think we all just didn't see it for what it was.  If you remember a few weeks back, we had 3 days of sunshine...the first day was in the upper 60's (spring), the next day it was in the 90's (summer), the following day was in the lower 70's (autumn)...aaaaaaaaand we're back to winter.  So we really have had all four seasons.

So when my slightly damp husband blew in from work yesterday, I asked him if he had any requests for dinner.  He said, "Something warm and saucy sounds good today."  Perfect, because I was planning to make soup anyway.  I don't know if I've shared this recipe here before, but if I have, too bad.  I'm posting it again, because I think it is one of the most divine soup recipes in existence.  It's not your average can of Campbell's soup, mind you, but it's just about as easy.  (Erik, if you're reading this, you know how much we both love Campbell's Tomato Garden soup.  It's like a religious experience, and you know I'm right.  This soup, to me, is a very good substitute.)

So here it is, Giada DeLaurentiis' "Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup"

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Now, if you're like me, you just can't leave a good recipe alone.  I've got to tweak it.  This soup is FABULOUS just the way Giada does it, but here's what I did with it.  (And you can trust this, because I'm an Italian girl too.)

To the carrot/onion/garlic combination, I also add two stalks of celery, one potato peeled and diced, and a small zucchini diced.  As far as the marinara sauce, I just use a can of Hunt's spaghetti sauce ($1.08 at Wal-Mart), but please DON'T compromise on the cannelini beans.  There really is no substitute.  You may or may not find a store brand, but Progresso makes cannelini beans and that's what I buy.  Now, if you have small children or an ulcer, you'll want to reduce the red pepper flakes by half, or even three-quarters.  Using 1/2 teaspoon in this soup makes it quite spicy.  When I made this last night, I used about 1/8 teaspoon, and it was the perfect amount of spiciness for my kids.

We just had this with a basic bread and some canteloupe, but it would be excellent with a rustic loaf and some fresh mozzarella, or if you're really adventurous, a nice polenta, and a fresh caprese salad.

Buon Appetito!

Gina