| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup elbow macaroni
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.
- *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 423 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg |
| Sodium | 596 mg |
Reviews
BEST. SOUP. EVER. Have been making it for years. I always order it in restaurants to compare to this and nothing does. It’s absolutely 5 stars as-is. One MINOR tweak I suggest is to thicken with two cans of cannellini beans, blended in a blender/food processor with a little stock. The creamy white beans give it a much smoother texture than just blending a cup of the soup which results in red skins from the kidney beans. Also I will use half chicken stock and half Better Than Bouillon Ham stock if I don’t have pancetta on hand. It’s really necessary to incorporate that pork flavor with the beans. Once in a while I’ll add a can of tomatoes after the pancetta, cook them down then proceed. As Giada said some people like tomato and some don’t. I will use one can garbanzo and one kidney vs. two kidney and ditalini vs. elbow but these are visual tweaks which don’t change the flavor of her amazing soup! It’s fun to adjust to personal preference but I suggest making it 100% her way first.
Amazing soup recipe, have been making it for many years.
A wonderful go to pantry meal!!!!
Ditalini
We must like this. It’s in 3 different places. iPad, journal of my favorites, and Giana’s family dinners cookbook. I rarely change it up. By the time some reviewers are finished, it doesn’t even slightly resemble her recipe but go for it if it makes you and your family happy!
I usually make this the way my husband’s family ate it growing up. Tried this and they loved it. Great new winter recipe.
Simply delicious! I used a combination of navy beans and white kidney beans instead and added the optional red pepper flakes. I absolutely love it! This will serve me well for my lunches this week. Thanks Giada!
Oh so good! Just used more broth and Cannellini beans, but turned out great! My husband said it was the best soup he’s ever eaten and ate three bowls before I finished my first! Thumbs up …
Excellent came out so good.
I love this recipe – just made it for lunch. I did use cannelloni beans and Parmesan rind, also added sausage. Instead of red pepper flakes I used Trader Joe’s Calabrian chili peppers, so good.