What's for Dinner? Meal Planning Monday Help (and a recipe)

This is pasta e ceci soup.  An Italian pasta and chickpea potage, that has been in circulation at our dinner table for no less than six years, which is an eternity when you're always looking for and creating new recipes.  

It first started off as the only soup the kids would eat (thankfully, that has changed) and is now one of our favourites.  It's also ridiculously easy to make and so tasty to slurp. We ate it for lunch on the weekend and will be eating it again for dinner this week, as I didn't meal plan a single thing for the coming week.  I was too busy becoming an aunt as my sister had her first baby! 

It was the most exciting of weekends, but now I'm faced with wondering what I'm going to feed my family this week. Perhaps you can offer me some suggestions and we can meal plan for the coming nights with your ideas?  I have chicken and pork chops that need to be cooked, plenty of rice, beans and quinoa, eggs and lots of veggies.  

So, while I wait for your most excellent meal suggestions, I leave you with my go-to, no-dinner-planned soup recipe.  I think it will become a family favourite for you, too.

Pasta e Ceci Soup

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup ditalini (small, tubular) pasta

In a large pot set over low heat, warm the oil.  Add the carrots, onion, celery and garlic and sautee slowly, until soft. Add the chickpeas, salt, sage, rosemary and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Remove the soup from the stove top and puree using an immersion blend.  Return to the stove, add the pasta and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook until the pasta is tender.  Stir often to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Thin the soup with more chicken stock or water, if desired and serve.

 

 

Comments

[Zoe]

Chicken? Try this! It's a no-fail crown pleaser:

http://zoedawn.wordpress.com/2010/12/03/honey-baked-chicken-with-baked-brown-rice/

[Rae Grant]

Hi Jan- sorry I haven't been by for awhile.

This looks great!!

[Jan Scott]

Thanks, Rae!  I hope youre well....

[carma]

Hi, I recently found your site and love it.

I have a question about the recipe, i don't see how much rosemary to put in the soup?

[carma]

Forgot to mention I found your site via Babble!

[Jan Scott]

Hi Carma - Thanks for writing.  You are absolutely right, I forgot the rosemary.  Im going back to edit it now, but its one tablespoon of dried rosemary.