BEAT-THE-JANUARY BLUES ITALIAN POTAGE (or Italian Bean & Pasta Soup); budget-friendly, high protein & fibre; vegan option

Wondering how to get through the dog-days of January? Tips, recipes and trends to ease the pain, as well as the latest food news in 

Welcome to the Blog (nav bar above)

A rich, thick, rib-sticking frugal soup guaranteed to lift the end-of-January blues...

'Cheap, filling, yet unalterably robustly and wonderfully Italian.'

It has wonderful flavours and textures, it's filling and utterly satisfying, it'll use up those pulses and lentils lurking at the bottom of your storage jars and it's easy on the wallet.

The  recipe comes from tv chef, Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa.  She has been cooking for years and is well known for her  meticulously planned recipes which provide both subtle and punchy  flavour. 

67goingon50 adapted the recipe to take account of what was in the cupboard, and to offer substitutions for the financially-challenged.

Ina uses a bag of 16-bean soup mix as the soup's base.  These are not easily found in the UK but a combination of dried pulses did the trick for 67goingon50.  67's combo consisted of white cannelini beans, chickpeas, yellow split peas, red lentils and green lentils.  But any combo of dried pulses and lentils beans will be fine.  

If you're going for dried beans, some planning is necessary but there is a quick version involving tinned beans, below.

Cost: £3'ish (Jan'24), depending on what's in the cupboard

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

250gm/1/2 pound bag mulltiple Bean Soup Mix OR your own mix of dried pulses & lentils

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 3 ounces pancetta, ¼-inch-diced
• 1/2 large onion, white or red, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (1.5 good-sized cloves)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes OR chilli crisp OR hot sauce
• 
  
• 1 400gm/14 oz tin crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2-3 cups chicken stock; homemade is perfect but granules are ok 
• 1.5 tsp -1.5 tbsp  salt & 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup miniature pasta, such as ditalini or tubettini (67 prefers wholemeal pasta & bashed w/m fusilli in a thick plastic bag to reduce their size)
• 
  
• 2 generous tablespoons freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (if budget is tight, strong cheddar will do)
• 1/2 tablespoon good red wine vinegar
• Julienned fresh or 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves, for serving (67 only had parsley which was fine)

Method:

1. The day before cooking: place bean mix in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches cold water; refrigerate overnight. 
2. Drain beans, rinse, drain again; bring beans and 8 cups cold water to a boil; reduce heat; simmer 1 hour, skimming off any foam that rises to the top; stir occasionally. (67 used a slow cooker,on low for 3 hours.) The beans are ready when very tender and skin peels away easily 
3. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in large pot. Add the pancetta & onion; sauté over med 12 to 18 minutes, until browned 
4. Add garlic & red pepper flakes; sauté a min more  
5. Add tomatoes, wine, 2 cups of  chicken stock, 1-1/2 tsp salt & 1 tsp black pepper; take off heat.
6. Drain beans; add 2/3 to soup, processing the rest
7. Stir bean puree and pasta into the soup; bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer 20 to 30 mins, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender. 
8. Add up to 2 more cups chicken stock if the soup is too thick. 
9. Stir in the parmesan and vinegar. 
10. Ladle the soup into large shallow bowls, add a swirl of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and some basil. Serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.

MAKE AHEAD
Prepare the soup and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Add more chicken stock or water if the soup is too thick.

Comments:

'Cheap, filling, tasty and satisfying.  Unalterably robustly Italian.  Adding 1 or 2 spicy sausages made the soup even better.  At the end of January, what's not to love?'  Retired writer

Tips:

1. If opting for vegan version (no pancetta) add something spicy as a garnish to lift flavour eg Vegan 'Bacon Bits or Memorable Crunchy Croutons (with garlic)
2. Substituting tinned pulses will be pricier but more convenient; you will need at least 3-4 drained 400gm/14 oz tins of pulses of your choice, depending on how thick you like your Italian potage. Start at instruction (2) and proceed as normal
3. Don't be afraid of adding leftover meat or shellfish  to increase protein levels

 

More budget conscious recipes on NavBar: Recipes 1/Frugal...

Please leave a Comment in the box below 

                                              

This recipe has been adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, currently on Food Network at 4pm Mon-Fri in the UK (channel 43 on Freeview)