Some of the most interesting recipes come from our readers. This one, from Lorraine B. seems to have started with all the wrong ingredients, but with a few jars of Randall Beans as a foundation the end result was just right.
I found the recipe for Randall Bean Pasta Fagoli Soup and it looked delicious and easy. I am all about easy so I was excited to give it a try. When I got home I discovered the only ingredients from the original list which I actually had were a few wilted stalks of celery and two jars of Randall beans. Still craving the soup, I improvised making the following substitutions:
- Kale for spinach
- Fresh and diced tomatoes along with chick broth for the tomato broth
- Swiss cheese and Havarti instead of Parmesan.
I also added one green pepper, two carrots and fresh basil and sage. With these creative substitutions the result was a hearty, tasty soup which I am going to look forward to making again. If you decided to try it out and you are missing an ingredient or two, don’t worry, just substitute something you do have. I am sure it will be delicious too.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 – 5 large stalks of kale
- 1 large fresh basil leaf – chopped finely
- 3 sage leaves – chopped finely
- 1 green pepper
- 2 tomatoes quartered
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces of chicken broth
- 2 large carrots sliced thin
- 2 2/3 cups Randall Great Northern Beans, (do not drain or rinse)
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup Farfalla
- 4 slices of Swiss cheese
- 4 slices of Havarti chees
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 5-quart pot and sauté basil, sage, garlic, onion, and kale for 5 minutes, or until onion is softened.
- Add green pepper, celery and fresh tomatoes and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes
- Added carrots canned tomatoes, beans, broth and bring to a boil bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add pasta, cover, and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve, adding cheese to taste at the table. Serves 10 – 12 as a soup or 6 - 8 as a main course.
