Italian Bean Soup- Providence Journal

By amaliana

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 14-ounce can vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 cans (19-ounce each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed or chopped
• 1/2 cup tiny pasta, such as tubetti or orzo
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into strips (optional)
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped (or half a 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach) or escarole

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Note: If you don't have fresh basil, stir 1/2 teaspoon dry basil into the soup during cooking.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, then cook and stir onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until you smell its aroma, about 1 minute.
Add broth, beans, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Let cook about 10 minutes, so flavors combine.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until tender, then drain and add to soup. If soup is too thick, add 1 cup water or additional broth. Just before serving, stir in basil and spinach and cook just until spinach is bright green and wilted.