Day Three Hundred Four

Soup is one of the most underrated food groups, I swear. You can grab a bunch of stuff, throw it together, and call it a day.

Case in point:

White bean and spinach soup. 

You basically can add whatever is taking up space in your vegetable drawer. Carrots, onions, peppers, celery ... whatever. No matter what you do, it turns out fantastic and there's zero effort required.

White Bean and Spinach Soup

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups broth (vegetable is my preferred broth, but chicken would also work)
2 cans Great Northern Beans
12-14 ounces fresh spinach (I use a bag of prewashed spinach, which I wash again because I'm paranoid)
1 tablespoon paprika
salt
black pepper

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the red pepper and garlic and sauté lightly for 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for another 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the broth, beans, and paprika to the pot and simmer on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the spinach. It will look like it's entirely too much spinach, but hold tight. It only takes a few minutes for it to shrink considerably.

4. Continue to simmer until the spinach wilts completely, approximately 5 minutes.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this soup immediately or leave it on low heat for as long as you need to. It holds up REALLY well.

An aside: If you decide to add acini de pepe, do it after the spinach has wilted and cook according to the instructions on the box. If you add it too soon, it turns mushy.