The Perfect Soup for a Snowy Day

On a cold, snowy day...there is nothing more delightful than a warm bowl of homemade soup.

I saw Rachael Ray make a chickpea soup the other day on the Food Network.  With a quart of homemade chicken stop in the fridge...it seemed like a perfect match.  Except, I don't really like chickpeas.  I know, crazy huh?  I like them in hummus, but on there own, not so much.

But I do LOVE Northern White Beans.  Seemed like an easy compromise.  I tweaked Rachael's recipe a little to accommodate my tastebuds.

Here is my version:

Potato, White Bean and Spinach Soup

Ingredients
2 tbl olive oil
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Two  15.8-ounce can Northern White Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup water1/2 cup small type pasta
1/2 package chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Add olive oil to a stock pot.  Add the potatoes and let them cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes so the vegetables have a chance to sweat down.  Add stock, water and beans.  Stir and bring to a light boil.  Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender.  Add pasta and spinach (breaking up the spinach as you add it to the soup).  Heat throughly and serve with a generous heap of parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.