Recipe to Reality: Tuscan Bean Soup

Well, New York has truly said its farewells to summer and has welcomed autumn with open arms.

The leaves in the Hudson Valley are truly a stunning sight at this time of year.

Golden yellow, crisp orange, and deep reds are all around.

With these gorgeous leaves comes cool weather which makes it the perfect time for soups and stews.

Here's another delicious soup to add to your collection.

This recipe is adapted from Emeril Lagasse and was found through Food Network Online.

Serves 8
Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Here's What You'll Need!

• 1 14 oz. can dark red kidney beans
• 1 14 oz. can cannellini beans
• 1 14 oz. can chickpeas
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1 8 oz. container of diced pancetta
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used ones with garlic and oregano too)
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb. elbow pasta
• 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Looks like a ton of ingredients, but so easy to make and so flavorful!

Put it All Together!

1. In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and the pancetta to render the fat. Cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. 

1. Saute the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and potatoes for about 3-4 minutes or until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

1. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, and cannellini beans along with the chicken stock.
2. Add the herbs-rosemary, thyme, Italian seasonings, bayleaf, red pepper flakes, as well as more salt and pepper. 
3. Cook for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are tender) and then add the handfuls of spinach and allow to wilt. (If you want, add some elbow pasta in about 8 minutes before soup is done)
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread and get ready to warm yourself up from the inside out.

I am a huge fan of very hearty soups, so if you like your soup with more broth just add less of everything I added!

Looking forward to more soups and stews as fall leads us to winter :)

Stay Savory,