The Fastest Soup in the South!

Semplice e Veloce Zuppa di Fagioli 

Quick & Easy Tangy Bean Soup

If you are feeling under the weather, like I have been this week, or are simply tired out and not feeling like a lot of stress, or even just pushed for time- this is a great dish for you! That is, if you like wonderful, delicious, healthy and exciting comfort food!

Not feeling well enough to leave the house, and although I still have fresh herbs and vegetables in the fridge, it was time to get creative with supper. I know I am supposed to make sure to get plenty of fluids, but I wanted a decent and substantial meal at the same time. So I came up with the idea of using these great, canned Greek beans and a few fresh vegetables and tangy fresh oregano to whip up a quick and tasty treat- something a little like this...

I started off by finely slicing carrot, celery, spring onion and some red pepper and sautéing them in a little olive oil until they began to soften- 5-6 minutes should be plenty of time if you cut your vegetables into a julienne... and the whole idea here was to get things done quickly!

As soon as the vegetables were softened up, I added a little finely chopped garlic, a little grated ginger and a tablespoon or so of tomato paste. I stirred these in well and then added some of the juice from the can to deglaze the pan and to combine all the flavors and seasoned with salt, pepper, a little cayenne, a hint of nutmeg and a squeeze of lemon juice.

I added half of the beans to the pan, stirred them in and added enough boiling water to cover everything and let everything simmer whilst I mashed the other half of the beans into a pulp... a fork will do- why save time cooking if you are going to use unnecessary gadgets and tools and have more washing-up? No fussing! Just mash them and add them to the soup to thicken it up- easy. At this point, slice up a couple of cherry tomatoes, so that they are warm but still fresh tasting- they will only need 2-3 minutes so cook if they are sliced thinly. Let the soup simmer for a while longer and then add a little finely chopped parsley and basil, some coarsely ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil... and you're ready to eat!

There you go- a quick and super tasty meal in 15-20 minutes max! What's not to love?!?! Buon apetito!