Soup It Up! (Berkshire Eagle Column)
Maybe your leftovers are gone. Maybe you are tired of your leftovers. (If so, put cut up turkey and gravy in the freezer. Defrost later and put together in a baking dish with frozen peas and carrots, and top with store-bought puff pastry for a quick turkey pot pie!)
The Monday after the long weekend (for most of us) it’s back to a full week in the busiest season of the year, both because of holiday events and activities and because of any year-end items on the agenda. With this in mind, I felt that last week’s Berkshire Eagle column had to include an easy recipe!
This soup is so easy, and it always surprises me how good it is, even with just water added (as opposed to stock). As such, it can easily be vegetarian or even vegan, and after a busy day, it will make you feel like you’ve really made a meal, even if it’s mostly just opening some cans!
SOUP-ER EASY
by Elizabeth Baer
We are in that crazy time of year which often involves so much cooking and so much festivity, and which also means pulling something together for a weekday meal can feel like just one thing too much! Starting with Thanksgiving and ending with New Year’s, there are extra year-end parties and gatherings, holiday feasts, and, for me, cooking gifts to bring or send to family and friends.
It’s also getting colder, and so a warn and filling soup meal feels just perfect. But how to make it easy?
This recipe – one of many pasta and bean variations out there – can be made with only pantry staples; can include meat, be vegetarian, or even vegan; and doesn’t even require a measuring cup. The pancetta or bacon is totally optional, but I always have some in the freezer, so for me, it’s a “pantry” item. I love the rosemary and thyme flavors, but again, use what you have.
When I’m lazy or tired, I just cut the garlic cloves in half. No work of chopping or cleaning out the garlic press! The liquid you add to the pot can broth or even just water, honest. For simplicity’s sake, I like to fill the empty tomato can, but if you’re opening a box of chicken or vegetable broth, that’s a touch more liquid, but no matter – just pour it all in.
Finally, you can vary the amount of pasta to your liking. When you toss in about two ounces worth it may seem like too little, but the pasta will absorb the liquid and it will be fine. If you want a less soupy dish and more of a very juicy, wet pasta dish, use four ounces of pasta.
Now that I’ve almost entirely explained the recipe, here it is in standard recipe form. Treat yourself to something easy while everything around you is hectic craziness!
TOMATO AND CHICKPEA SOUP WITH PASTA
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 slice pancetta or bacon, about an ounce, chopped, optional
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped if desired, or left whole, or 1½ teaspoons dried and crumbled
2 sprigs fresh thyme stripped of leaves or left whole, or ½ teaspoon dried
2 cloves garlic, halved or crushed
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
3½-4 cups, or one 28-ounce can worth of liquid: water or chicken or vegetable broth
2-4 ounces soup shape pasta, ditalini or smaller
Grated Parmesan for serving, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a medium to large pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon if using, and sauté until the fat has rendered. Toss in the rosemary, thyme, and garlic and stir to coat with the oil. Add the salt, then the chickpeas, stirring again to coat with the oil.
Pour in the entire can of tomatoes, juice and all. Fill the empty can with water and add to the pot, or use a carton of chicken or vegetable broth. Cover, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Uncover and add the pasta. Stir well, and cook according to package timing, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove the herb stems if using whole sprigs and the garlic cloves if large pieces. Taste for and add salt as needed. This can vary depending on the saltiness of the pancetta or bacon or broth if using any of these variations.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated Parmesan, if desired. Leftovers keep well, although the pasta will continue to absorb liquid. If it gets too thick, just add more liquid to reach preferred consistency.