Italian pasta and bean soup

 
                        Italian Pasta and Bean Soup
 
 Recipe By     : Source: Vegetarian Soups for all Seasons by Nava Atlas
 Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Beans                            Main Dishes
                 Soups & Stews                    Vegetables
                 Vegetarian
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
                         Ingredients:
    2      tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil
    1      medium        onion -- finely chopped
    2      cloves        garlic -- minced
    1      medium        carrot, peeled -- cut into 1/4 dice
    1      large         celery stalk -- cut into 1/4"  dice
    4      cups          great northern beans, cooked -- (1-1/2 cup Dry)
    7      cups          cooking liquid from beans or water.
    2      cups          zucchini -- diced
    2                    bay leaves
    1 1/2  teaspoons     Italian Herb Mix
      1/4  cup           tomato paste
    1 1/2  cups          pasta -- ditalini (tiny tubes
    2      tablespoons   chopped fresh parsley
                         salt and pepper to taste
 
 Directions:
 
 Pick over beans, then rinse thoroughly. Put the 1 1/2 cups beans in a
 large bowl with 4 times more water than beans and leave to soak over
 night. Drain off soaking water and put beans in a heavy skillet or
 saucepan with the specified about of water. Bring the beans to a boil,
 lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender.
 
 Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and
 celery and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion
 is golden. Add the beans, cooking liquid or water, zucchini, bay leaves,
 herb mix and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil lower heat, and then simmer
 gently covered until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes.
 Remove from the heat and allow the soup to stand for an hour or so to
 develop flavor. 
 
 In a separate saucepan, cook the pasta al dente. Rinse briefly under
 cool water until it stops steaming. Add the parsley to the soup and heat
 it through. When the soup is hot, add the cooked pasta and season to
 taste with salt and pepper.  Serve at once.  
 
 Per servings: Calories 234, Total fat 5g, protein 10g, carbohydrates
 40g, cholesterol 0g, sodium 19mg. 
 
 
 
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 NOTES :  Serves 8