My wife, the soup hater, says, "pretty good"!
Adapted from the Food Network by Ina Garten
What you need
- 1 (1-pound) bag Goya 16 Bean Soup Mix
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces sweet Italian ground sausage
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup miniature pasta (dry), such as ditalini or tubettini
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- The day before you plan to make the soup, place the bean mix in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by 2 inches, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans, rinse under cold running water, and drain again.
- Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat for 12 to 18 minutes, until browned.
- Add the garlic, seasoning and red pepper flakes and saute for one minute.
- Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of the chicken stock, salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
- Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup.
- Pass the remaining beans through a food mill, discarding the skins. Stir the bean puree and the pasta into the soup, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Add more chicken stock if the soup is too thick.
- Stir in the Parmesan and the vinegar.
Ina adds, ladle the soup into large shallow bowls and add a swirl of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and some basil.