October calls for soup. Even disregarding the recent cooler weather, the flu making the rounds begs for it. If you have a sick friend, roommate or loved one, back away from the Campbell's cans. Your friends feel like garbage already, no need to feed them crummy soup when you can do better.
Consider making a minestrone, an Italian soup comprised of whatever vegetables you have on hand plus a broth. Granted, you may not want to make an authentic one because it would take longer, cost more and not be vegetarian friendly. So here's a recipe for students who want a hearty fall meal without the hassle:
--Cook about two cups of pasta, and drain it.
--In a large pot, sauté some chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
--Add 10 to 12 cups of water, and bring the mixture to a boil.
--Open two small cans of tomato paste and add them slowly, ensuring the paste dissolves. Remember to use tomato paste, not tomato sauce; the latter will make the soup taste strange.
--Pour in 1/3 cup of sugar, and stir to dissolve it. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste.
--With the broth complete, lower the heat to medium.
--Open a can of beans and a bag of frozen vegetables; the variety of both is up to you. I recommend butter beans and a mixture of vegetables including green beans and broccoli, but use zucchini for a more authentic flavor.
--Once the vegetables cook thoroughly, pour in the cooked pasta and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Don't worry about overcooking anything as it will only thicken the soup.
In the batch pictured, I added pork as the broth cooked and fresh parsley as a last-minute garnish.
