Bean And Pasta Soup With Sun-dried Tomatoes

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup dried bean, rinsed and picked over (such as great northern or cannellini)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups finely diced yellow onions
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup diced fennel or 1/2 cup diced celery
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 8 ounces bow tie pasta
• 1/2 cup fine diced sun-dried tomato (use the dry ones and reconstitute them in some hot water for 10 minutes before chopping)
• 1/4 cup finely diced fresh parsley
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by 3 inches.
• 2 heat oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat.
• 3 add onions, carrots, fennel, garlic, pepper flakes and bay leaves.
• 4 cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• 5 add beans and 7 cups stock.
• 6 increase heat and bring to boil.
• 7 reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
• 8 (can be made one day ahead and cover and refrigerate at this point).
• 9 bring to a simmer before continuing.
• 10 add pasta and tomatoes to soup.
• 11 cover partially and simmer until beans and pasta are very tender, adding up to 1 cup stock if too thick, about 15 minutes.
• 12 add parsley.
• 13 taste and adjust seasonings with salt.
• 14 discard bay leaves.
• 15 ladle soup into bowls.
• 16 serve, passing cheese seperately.