Hearty Garden Bean Soup
As we start getting into the thick of Autumn, the weather’s starting to get colder and the garden is drawing to a close. I had a box of macaroni in the pantry that I haven’t used and it was taking up some space, so I decided to make a pasta bean soup with it. Light, but hearty and all around healthy, I pulled together things I grew in the garden (including the tomatoes I dried to store), foraged for some greens (mostly sow thistle and goosefoot, but also chard and kale), and picked some herbs to throw in the pressure cooker for a quick meal. This can be vegetarian if you choose to omit the ham and substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Ingredients
- Half box macaroni
- Small handful of herbs, minced (I used basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, all which I’m growing)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- Handful Tomatoes, dried or fresh, chopped
- 1 can Great Northern or Canelli Beans
- 3 slices ham, diced (omit for vegetarian version)
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes (use vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
- 2 cups chopped goosefoot, sow thistle, chard, kale, spinach or a mix
- 1.5 liters of water per half box macaroni
Garnish
- Olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese
1. Place all the ingredients except for garnish in a pressure cooker and set to quick soup.
2. Alternatively, can be done on the stove covered, until macaroni is tender.
3. Garnish with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of nice, finishing olive oil.