Pasta e Fagioli

I was in Half-Price Books today browsing for some Vegan cookbooks...didn't find any! But, one vegetarian cookbook had a recipe for this Italian veggie soup that I've liked in the past. Came home & googled the name, but came up with about 10 different websites for recipes of Olive Garden's version...sorry, don't want to make anything that requires 9 quarts of chicken broth.

Then I remembered my Rachael Ray cookbooks. Surely, she had a usable version! And as always, Rachael didn't disappoint! I have a habit of marking my cookbooks so I know if I've tried something and if we liked it. Turns out, I had "very good" underlined at the top. So here's my modified vegan version.

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp EVOO (RR says "two times around the pot")
1 carrot, peeled & finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled & chopped
2 stalks celery, tender pieces (from the heart?), chopped
2 stems fresh rosemary, left whole (I had to sub about 2 tsps dry)
Several sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems & chopped, about 2-3 Tbsp
coarse salt & black pepper, to taste
16 ounces tomato juice or sauce (my sauce is home canned, so it's more like thick tomato juice)
30 ounces vegetable broth (I used the equivalent of bouillon)
1 can Organic kidney beans, drained (can use cannellini too!)
1 cup pasta (I used Barilla piccolini wheels. To make gluten free, use quinoa or rice pasta, etc.)

Heat garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven (deep pot). Add veggies, herbs and salt & pepper. Cover & cook 5 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add beans and pasta. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until pasta is al dente.

Paired this with a salad and homemade crusty bread dipped in olive oil & herbs. Yum!

**My whole purpose in looking for this recipe was because I'd thawed some previously frozen chili for the family and wanted to have a hearty soup/stew for myself...it's cold here! But the smell & appearance was so tantalizing that all but 2 of the family dove into the pasta e fagioli. I had to get aggressive to have a 1/2 cup of it left for my lunch tomorrow!**