Menu Wednesday #12

This week's menu features a thick, hearty Italian-style bean soup inspired by holiday leftovers. I had a partial bag of dried northern beans, some cooked sausage leftover from making pizzas, and some leftover penne from making baked ziti. With the addition of a few vegetables from the fridge and some pantry seasonings, I created the best soup I think I've ever made. Memories of a hearty minestrone at a little Italian restaurant in Chicago, circa 1975, came flooding back to me when I tasted this -- and that's a very good thing.

Soup is not something that normally photographs well, at least for a non-professional like me, but I couldn't resist giving it a try (see the bite out of my sandwich already!) so you could see how thick and hearty it turned out. Even My Favorite Husband, who is often suspicious of bean foods, loved this as much as I did.

I'd enjoy this with a crusty piece of homemade bread, so I've added the recipe for the ever popular No Knead Bread that swept the country a couple of years ago. If you'd like though, a plate of antipasto or a sandwich would make it a perfect meal for bigger appetites. I'll leave that to you. And, don't be afraid to add or subtract to accommodate the leftovers in your fridge -- that's the best part of making soup AND making ends meets for your grocery budget when money is tight right after the holidays.

BEST EVER BEAN SOUP
8 oz. dried northern or cannellini beans
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. finely chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Water
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 qt. good chicken stock
1 qt. good beef stock
2 cups cooked pasta, cooled – mini penne, macaroni, ditalini, etc.
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Place dried beans, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme in a large heavy stockpot and add water to 2 in. above beans. Cook on medium-high until beans begin to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until beans are tender. Be sure to add more water, if necessary to keep beans just covered. Remove Italian sausage from casings and brown in a skillet; drain and add to beans. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes and enough chicken and beef stocks. Simmer on medium-low heat, until beans get very soft and flavors are well blended. Add cooked pasta and Parmesan and continue to heat over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times to keep cheese from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty Italian bread, or with a sandwich or salad.

CRISPY CRUST NO-KNEAD BREAD
Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery

3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. SAF-instant yeast (red label)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. water
olive oil (for coating pan and bread)
extra flour or cornmeal (for dusting)

You need two bowls, a wooden spoon, two cotton kitchen towels, plastic wrap, and a heavy pot (I use my 4 1/2 qt. Le Creuset Dutch Oven) or ceramic or glass baking bowl – with a lid.

Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix by hand until blended. Coat the inside of a medium mixing bowl with olive oil and put the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest, at room temperature, for 12 hours.

Dump dough out onto a floured surface and fold it a couple of times. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Take a large cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and dust it with a heavy coating of flour or cornmeal. Shape the dough into a ball and place it seam side down on the towel. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour. Cover the dough with a second cotton towel and let it rise at room temperature for
1–2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450–500 degrees. About 30 minutes before ready to bake bread, place a large cast iron pot, or ceramic or Pyrex glass bowl in the oven to preheat. Remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot, seam side up and cover. Bake for 30 minutes; remove cover and bake 15–30 more minutes uncovered, until bread is a nice, rich brown on top.

Cool on a wire rack. Crust will be crisp and make a cracking noise as it cools. Eat the bread right away with butter or olive oil! And then make more!

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #12
Best Ever Bean Soup
Crispy Crust No Knead Bread

Produce
Onion – 1
Celery – 2 ribs
Carrots – 2
Garlic – 4 cloves

Pantry
Dried beans – 8 oz.
Dried thyme – 1/2 tsp.
Red pepper flakes – 1/2 tsp.
Canned diced tomatoes – 1 can
Chicken stock – 1 qt.
Beef stock – 1 qt.
Dried pasta – 4 oz.
All-purpose flour – 5 c.
SAF instant yeast – 1/4 tsp.
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Meats
Italian sausage – 8 oz.

Dairy
Parmesan cheese – 4 oz.
Butter