Gluten Free Vegetable Bean Soup

The weather is cooling down here on Long Island. As I was returning from my allergist's office where I went for my exam and my shots, it started to rain. Cool weather and rain call for soup! For my other soup recipes, click green links. Pea soup, Lentil soup, Roasted butternut squash soup.

Why I don't eat meat! Hearty, filling, protein-packed vegetable/bean soup with pasta!

Peel, wash and chop carrots, celery, onions and sweet potatoes. (See above video) Coat bottom of pot with olive oil and heat on medium. Add in vegetables, salt and stir. Chop garlic and add when vegetables are almost soft. Lower heat. Don't burn garlic. It gets bitter. You don't want to brown it for this dish, just make sure it cooks well.

Once garlic is cooked, add in peas, broccoli, cauliflower and green beans. (I chose to use these vegetables in frozen form. I let them thaw a bit before adding to the pot.) Stir and let soften.

Add water and crushed tomatoes (I used 2 cups of water and two large cans of crushed tomatoes). Stir well. Raise heat and let soup come to an almost boil. Add your pasta (for those who don't like pasta in their dish, cook pasta on the side and add into individual serving bowls.) Stir well and stir often, you don't want pasta to stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Let pasta cook until almost done.

A few minutes before pasta is done, add washed spinach. Let that cook until spinach is almost cooked. Add cannellini beans, kidney beans and butternut squash (mine was leftover and already cooked so I added it last) If you add it before cooking it, add it in the beginning with the sweet potatoes. Add salt to taste. Let beans heat thoroughly, stiring often.

Once all ingredients are in the pot, let it simmer about five minutes, stiring often. Serve and enjoy!

I can't give amounts, I can only give ingredients. Most Italians don't cook with measurements, they cook with heart. My mom taught me to add ingredients until "it looks good". So, judge for yourself.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Red onions

Celery

Carrots

Garlic cloves

Sweet potatoes

Salt

Peas

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Green beans

Butternut squash

Fresh spinach (Note: you can use any vegetables your heart desires)

Cannellini beans

Kidney beans (Note: you can use any bean your heart desires)

Water

Crushed Tomatoes

Tomato paste

Gluten free pasta (I use Tinkyada organic brown rice)