Soup Day!

We've had some good old fashion soup days lately. It's gotten cold...well, cold to us anyway. It's somewhere around 50 today, but it's a damp cold. Are you feeling sorry for us yet? :)

Reid has been feeling kind of "yucky" from the latest round of chemo, so yesterday I made a pot of his favorite soup. For the life of me I can't remember if I ever posted this recipe before. but if I did it's worth repeating. It's so simple to make, feeds an army, and in our family it's everyone's favorite. I found this recipe in an old magazine while sitting under a hair dryer at JC Penny. I quickly scribbled it down on a piece of scrap paper.

Here's a picture. Unfortunately, I forgot to take it last night while it was hot, so here it is ice cold from the refrigerator. It somehow looks better hot, but you'll get the idea anyway.

Meatball Minestrone

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
3 (15 oz.) cans Cannellini beans, untrained, divided
1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth
1 (1.4 oz) package vegetable soup mix (I use Knorr vegetable soup mix.)
60-64 frozen cooked meatballs
1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano
½ t. dried, crushed red pepper
8 oz. Uncooked rotini pasta
1 (10 oz.) bag, fresh spinach, torn
Garnishes: Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley

Saute garlic in hot oil in stock pot over medium high heat one minute; stir in two cans beans and chicken broth. Bring to boil.

Stir in vegetable soup mix until dissolved. Add meatballs, tomatoes, and red pepper. Return to boil. Add rotini and cook, stirring often for 15 minutes.

Stir in remaining can of beans and spinach. Cook five more minutes. Garnish if desired. Yield: 4 quarts; Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes