Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Small Batch)

I should probably refer to this pasta e fagioli soup as “blizzard soup.” The forecast called for up to 20 inches of snow (though we only got seven).  I was determined to keep the stove going and get a batch of hot soup. Besides, there is more snow coming tomorrow!

Therefore, I deliberately made this the “hard” way.  First, I soaked the beans overnight.  Then I cooked the beans and sort of followed a recipe from The New York Times.  I cut it in  half and added pancetta (don’t know why they left that out).

I even made my own vegetable stock.  If you spot potatoes in the photo, it’s because they were in the homemade vegetable stock recipe .   Potatoes aren’t traditional for pasta e fagioli soup, but I left them in anyway. Why toss perfectly good veggies? I didn’t include them in the recipe here though.




You can use vegetable stock, or chicken stock if you prefer. I would  have made chicken stock but I didn’t have enough chicken bones. And I certainly wasn’t going out to get some in a blizzard!

Don’t be put off by the wait time on this recipe.  That includes soaking the beans overnight. You can speed this up by using my quick soak method. That cuts the soaking time down from 8 hours to only one.

If you’re really in a hurry, and don’t have the time or patience to soak and cook the beans for an hour or more, use a can of white cannellini beans instead. Make the rest of the soup, then add the can of beans.  Just cook them long enough to heat through.

Substitutions and Variations for Pasta e Fagioli Soup

  • Save time and use canned beans
  • Try different kinds of beans: pinto, kidney, or cranberry
  • Use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock
  • Use bacon or pork fat instead of pancetta (I even used soppressata salami once)
  • Add one potato (cut into chunks) to the soup
  • Chop up a handful of spinach and add that with the pasta

More White Bean and Soup Recipes

easy Italian wedding soupEasy Italian Wedding Soup

This should probably be called “dump” soup. All you do is pour the ingredients into a pot and heat them up. It’s a classic Italian soup that’s super-easy to make.

 

white bean salad with sun-dried tomatoesWhite Bean Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes

I took an expensive pre-made grocery store salad and turned it into a budget-friendly side dish/salad by making it myself!

 

pork chili verdePork Chili Verde for One

Ground pork simmered in a green sauce of  hot peppers, potatoes, beans, and cumin.  A meal in one bowl (heats the house too).

 

lentil bean sausage soupLentil Bean Sausage Soup

A hearty meal all by itself.  Packed with lentils, beans, sausage, potatoes, and sweet carrots. Perfect for chilly weather.

 

 




Curried Chicken Soup

Fight the cold weather (and winter germs) with some curried chicken soup.  If you’re sick, the hot soup and the spiciness of the curry will help cut through the congestion and make you feel better!  If you’re healthy, you can enjoy the full flavor!

This soup is pretty low maintenance, there’s not a lot of active work involved. Just chop the veggies, add the stock, rice, and chicken, and let it simmer. And, for soup, it’s ready fairly quickly. It only takes a little over an hour to cook.  I’ve been fighting a lingering cough, so I needed soup. Specifically soup with curry or something spicy to cut through the congestion and fight those germs! So I turned to the Silver Palate Cookbook and made curried chicken soup.  I think it’s working.

The original recipe says to use peas and defrost them first. I didn’t have any peas handy, so I used broccoli instead.  Also, in this case, I don’t think that defrosting first is really necessary. Frozen veggies cook fairly quickly, unless they’re all stuck together in the box.




Making this soup is much easier (and less messy) if you have a stick blender. Just put the blender in the soup, press the button, and puree it. Otherwise, you’ll need to strain it, put the solids in a standing blender or food processor and then add some cooking liquid. Full instructions are in the recipe.

If you have the hand blender, this soup requires very little effort.  Cut up the vegetables, add the stock, rice, and chicken, and just let it cook.

I’ve cut the original recipe in half, so it makes 2-3 servings instead of 4-6.  Eat one right away and freeze (or save) the rest for another day.

More Curry and Curried Soup Recipes

one person chicken curryEasy Chicken Curry Recipe

All you need for a great dinner is a few basic ingredients, a single pan, and fifteen minutes.

 

easy canned tuna curryEasy Canned Tuna Curry

A simple can of tuna, transformed into a meal.  Only takes a few minutes too. Dump, heat, and eat.

 

curried butternut squash soup with applesCurried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

Perfect for fall, with apples, sweet West Indian curry, and butternut squash.

 

Jewish chicken curry chitarneeJewish Chicken Curry Chitarnee

You probably didn’t expect Jewish and curry together, but there it is.  Ginger, onions, and cardamom make this dish aromatic, warm,  flavorful, not spicy.

 




Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

There’s nothing better and more comforting than hot soup on a chilly, blustery day. This curried butternut squash soup with apples is perfect for cold fall or winter weekends when squash are plentiful. I had quite a bit of squash left over from making roasted cinnamon nutmeg butternut squash, so this was the perfect way to use it up.   I have adapted the recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook, with a few tweaks.

First, I cut the recipe in half, as the original recipe made 6 large servings.  Plus, I only had most of one squash left (not two!).  I also substituted apple cider for the apple juice called for in the recipe. This gives it more flavor than just plain apple juice.

One more note, I recommend that you use a mild curry in this recipe (not something super-hot and spicy as it will overwhelm the flavor of the squash and the apples). I have a West Indian curry blend which is more savory than spicy; it works perfectly. If you can’t get the curry, try a teaspoon of ginger and a teaspoon of brown sugar.




Tools for Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

cuisinart stick blender

Cuisinart  Immersion Hand Blender

The original recipe called for straining the soup, then putting it through a food mill or food processor, and then pouring it back into the original pot.

Doable, but a pain in the neck, and it means two more things to clean.  The immersion blender is much easier to use, and a lot easier to clean up too.  You just pop off the end and wash it.

Oxo peeler

Oxo Swivel Peeler

Butternut squash is notoriously hard to peel, but this gadget makes the job a snap. Using this peeler, peeling a squash is no harder than peeling a carrot.

The little hole in the pointed end is great for removing the eyes from potatoes, or taking out bruised spots from veggies.  Oxo was originally designed for people with arthritis, so the handle is soft, round, and easy to grip.

Silver Palate Cookbook

Do I mention this cookbook a lot? I think I do. I’ve gone through not one, not two, but three copies of it! Every recipe I’ve tried is a winner, from white bean soup with sausage and peppers, to peasant caviar (made with eggplant), duck (or chicken really) with forty cloves of garlic, six onion soup, and tomato dill soup. Plus a glorious apple pie recipe.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

butternut squash brown sugar vanilla

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Vanilla

This is definitely a vegetable. Just look at it. It’s got squash right? Well, make it yourself, and close your eyes. You’ll swear it’s a dessert.

 

butternut squash cream sauce pastaButternut Squash Cream Sauce Recipe for One Person

Use up the remaining squash from your soup and make this creamy, rich sauce. It’s both sweet and savory, and absolutely wonderful over pasta.

 

roasted cinnamon nutmeg squashRoasted Cinnamon Nutmeg Butternut Squash

Warm cinnamon and sweet squash are a wonderful side dish for fall. Great with a a roast turkey or chicken.

 

 

 




Split Pea Soup Recipe with Ham Hock

Nothing beats a bowl of split pea soup when it’s cold outside. This recipe has ham, split peas (of course), and bacon. The ham hock releases a lot of flavor as it slowly cooks into the soup. The bacon is good for salty crunch.  Add some crusty bread, or a sandwich, and you’ve got lunch.

The original recipe came from the NY Times Cookbook, but I’ve changed it a bit.  For one thing, it made up to 10 servings (which means one person would be eating soup for a very long time)!  This recipe is only for four servings. Just enough to enjoy it without feeling like you are drowning in split pea soup!

That recipe also called for celeraic (which I never have) and salt pork. Salt pork is fine, but I found it worked really well with bacon (preferably Trader Joe’s no nitrate bacon).

It also freezes well, so you can save some soup for later.

Substitutions and Variations for Split Pea Soup with Ham Hock

  • cut up a frankfurter or a chunk of kielbasa, cook it and add it to the soup
  • top with croutons
  • cook some extra bacon, crumble it, and top the soup with it
  • add freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • add a parmesan or Manchego cheese rind to the soup while it’s simmering

More Soup Recipes

pasta e fagioli soupPasta e Fagioli Soup (Small Batch)

An Italian classic, downsized for one person. It’s packed with flavor from pancetta, beans, rosemary and garlic. Filling too. It’s enough for a meal by itself.

 

ham and lentil soupEasy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person

Wonderful comfort food for chilly days. Only needs a single pot and a few basic ingredients.

 

mulligatawny soupMulligatawny Soup Recipe

Britain meets India in this fusion soup spiced with cumin and cinnamon. The Tamil provided the spices, and the British added meat.

 


mushroom barley soup
Mushroom Barley Soup

Nothing fancy or complicated, just filling hot soup.  Just like my grandma used to make (but in a smaller batch).

 




Image of soup in blender with towel thanks to joelk75

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup for One

It’s creeping crud season, and while I’m not quite sick, I’m definitely not feeling quite well either. I was browsing through Pinterest and spotted a spicy beef noodle soup recipe. I was about to save it when I realized I already had one! So I made that instead.

The beauty of this is that it’s really easy, and quick, as well as being spicy (good for fighting germs), hot (the steam is good for fighting congestion) and comforting on a cold day.  I sort of got this recipe from my online friend Terry. She had posted a “recipe” (no amounts or detailed directions, just the ingredients) for a spicy beef noodle soup that sounded awfully good.

She used red pepper which I didn’t have, as well as a specialty Korean chili sauce (which I also didn’t have). However, cooking is part following what someone else is done, part inspiration, and part improvisation, so I went with improvisation.

I did have cabbage, and I also had leftover steak, sriracha, and chili garlic sauce. I figured those would work just fine for my beef noodle soup.




If you don’t have turkey stock, you could use beef or even chicken if you prefer (see improvisation!).

Either way, once you have the stock, the rest of the soup is really easy to make and only needs a few ingredients.

Start the noodles first, then while they’re cooking, heat the stock in a separate pot and add the other ingredients. Or, you could throw everything (except the steak!) in one pot. If you do, the noodles will absorb a lot of the liquid, so you’ll need more.

Since I had the leftover steak,  I didn’t even have to cook that. If you don’t, cook that while the noodles are cooking, and then add it to the soup at the last minute.

Another thing about this spicy beef noodle soup is that with all that garlicky, spicy goodness it will kill any germs that may be plaguing you!

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup Substitutions and Variations

  • Use roasted gochujang (which is what Terry used)
  • Swap the steak for cooked turkey (especially if you still have turkey to use up), add that at the end, just for a minute to heat up
  • Add sliced red peppers
  • Put in some mushrooms; crimini or other stronger flavored varieties would work best

Tools and Ingredients for Spicy Beef Garlic Soup

huy fong chili garlic sauce

Chili Garlic Sauce

I love this stuff. It’s got a stronger kick, and less sugar, than the sriracha, plus the extra heat (and spiciness) from garlic.  It’s great in meatloaf, on eggs, in soup, or in a sauce. Think garlicky salsa.

 

If you prefer a hint of sweetness, you might like this instead of the chili garlic sauce (or use them both).  Squeeze it over eggs, into soup, on enchiladas, or burritos.  It’s also good for stir-fry. Think of it as ketchup with a kick.

More Small Batch Soup Recipes

curried chicken soupCurried Chicken Soup

A delicious, low-effort soup that cuts through congestion and fights germs. Cut up some vegetables, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer.

 

mushroom barley soupMushroom Barley Soup Small Batch for One Person

Comfort food like my grandma used to make.  Rich, hearty, and delicious. Cooked slowly to bring out the full flavor.

 

chinese chicken noodle cabbage soupChinese Chicken Noodle Cabbage Soup for One Person

This soup is fragrant with garlic, spicy chili, and a hint of sweetness from honey.  Nutritious too (lots of cabbage, noodles, and chicken).

 

ham and lentil soupEasy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person

Unlike beans, lentils don’t have to be soaked.  Just pour in the ingredients, and let it cook. Nothing fancy, and it’s all done in one pot.

 




Lentil Bean Sausage Soup

I’ve mind melded two lentil soup recipes for this and added a few variations to make lentil bean sausage soup. I was going to make bean and sausage soup but looked in the cupboard and found I was woefully short on beans.  There just weren’t enough to make anything with.  But, I did have more lentils.  And, a friend was talking about the bean, sausage, and potato soup she was making.

That gave me an idea.  Bean, lentil, potato, and sausage, plus a bit of manchego rind for some savor.

Manchego, parmesan, and romano cheese rinds are great, by the way, for soup or for grating cheese when there’s plenty left on the rind, but not enough to serve.

The nice thing about lentils is that unlike beans, you don’t have to soak them first to use them.

If you only have lentils, skip the beans entirely.  If you only have beans, use my quick soak method to speed up the process.




Ingredients and Tools for Lentil Bean Sausage Soup

mesh tea strainer ball

2 pcs Stainless Steel Mesh Tea Ball Strainer

Tea strainers are great for tea, but they also have a second use for making soup and other recipes.  Many recipes call for cheesecloth (which I’ve never seen in a store, and seems wasteful anyway).  Instead, I use the tea ball for bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and herb mixtures that have to be added (and then removed) from soup or other recipes. Because, who wants to bite down into a peppercorn?!

Silver Palate Cookbook

I’m on my third copy of this! The other half of the soup recipe comes from the bean and sausage soup in this cookbook. The peasant vegetable is also wonderful, as is the six onion soup. Actually, I’ve never had a bad recipe from this one. Plus there are suggestions and variations for many of the recipes, which I like.

More Lentil and Bean Soup Recipes

red lentil carrot soupRed Lentil Soup with Carrots

Cumin, garlic, and ginger for mellow, warm spiciness, and a bit of red pepper flakes for a kick.  Warming, filling, and delicious. Quick too, since red lentils take less time to cook than the brown ones.

lamb and lentil soupLamb and Lentil Soup Recipe

Take the bones from your lamb breast, make a broth, and transform that into soup. Extra meals, with not much extra cost.

 

pasta e fagioli soupPasta e Faglioli (Bean) Soup

An Italian classic soup, downsized for one person. Flavored with pancetta, rosemary, beans, and pasta, it’s both aromatic and delicious.

 

ham and lentil soupEasy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person

Only one pot! Easy too, just a bit of chopping, and then let it simmer.

 




Red Lentil Carrot Soup

It’s getting chilly outside, so that means it’s time to start making soup.  I spotted a bag of red lentils in Trader Joe’s, and just had to have them.  The nice thing about lentils is that they cook fairly quickly.  So, you can have delicious red lentil carrot soup in about an hour, without having to wait for beans to soak.

The lentils do need to be rinsed, but that only takes a minute.

Now that I had my lentils, it was time to find a recipe.  I looked at several red lentil carrot soup recipes, and didn’t like any of them.  Also, reading the reviews it sounded like the ones I did find needed some tweaking.  I ended up combining two different recipes, and adjusting them based on the comments.

While this isn’t one serving, I did cut the original recipes in half because I didn’t want 8 servings of soup (no room in the freezer).  This recipe makes 3-4 servings, depending on whether you have the soup as a main course or a side dish. Adding the rice will make it more filling.

The resulting red lentil carrot soup recipe has cumin for earthiness, a bit of red pepper flakes for heat, plus garam masala and ginger for warm spiciness.

Update: I came across still another recipe, which was for masoor dal (red lentils) as a side dish, and decided that with a bit of tweaking, it would make a wonderful, flavorful soup.  It was, and it was even better than my original recipe. So, I’ve now ditched the curry, and added ginger for warm spiciness and turmeric for color.




More Lentil Soup Recipes

moroccan chicken soupMoroccan Chicken and Lentil Soup

Believe it or not, this is Jewish food (no bagels in sight).  It’s usually made with lamb, but I used chicken, then flavored it with sharp/sweet ginger and turmeric.

 

lentil bean sausage soupLentil Bean Sausage Soup

This lentil soup has both beans and sausage. A hearty meal all by itself.  Perfect for chilly weather.

 

mulligatawny soupMulligatawny Soup Recipe

East meets west in this fusion soup.  Britain added meat and the Tamils brought the heat.

Note this is usually made with red lentils, but rice works too.

ham and lentil soupEasy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person

Comforting soup in  just a single pot.  All you have to do is chop some veggies, add the ham, and let it simmer while the smell of delicious soup wafts through your home.

 




Moroccan Chicken and Lentil Soup

The first time I made this Moroccan chicken and lentil soup it was “surprise soup.” It was a cold day, and I looked around in my kitchen, saw lentils, chicken, and carrots, and thought, there must be a soup in here someplace!  So, I started paging through my cookbooks.  I found a recipe for harira, which is a               Moroccan lentil and lamb soup, in The Book of Jewish Food (a wonderful cookbook which is part recipes and part travelogue).  I didn’t have the lamb, but I figured I could adjust it and use chicken instead.

Incidentally, if you don’t have lentils, white beans will work just fine.  Either dried or from a can is OK.  I have used both, and both are delicious.

The advantage with lentils is you don’t have to soak them! If you want to go with beans, try my quick soak method to speed up the process.

By the way, the leaves on top of the soup are fresh ginger from my windowsill garden (just for a splash of color). They add lots of flavor too. All I did was plant some roots that were sprouting.




Tools and Ingredients for this Recipe

5 quart calphalon pot

Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Cookware, Dutch Oven, 5-quart

I have a similar pot in a smaller size, but I really lust after the bigger one. Mine also doesn’t have the built-in strainer (which seems very handy). It does have the glass lid, which is great because I can easily see how close the food is to boiling without lifting the lid and getting a face full of steam. It’s great for soup or chili or a big pot of pasta when company is coming.

tumeric

Frontier Turmeric Root Ground, 1.92-Ounce Bottle

Turmeric is related to ginger and has a warm, peppery flavor. Like ginger, it can be savory or sweet, and can be used in both dinner and dessert recipes. It’s great in soups, on chicken, lamb, or mixed in with scrambled eggs. It’s also an anti-inflammatory.

 

More Lentil Soup Recipes

ham and lentil soupEasy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person

Just one pot required for a warm, comforting soup. Packed with lentils, carrots, and smoky ham for lots of flavor.

 

lentil bean sausage soupLentil Bean Sausage Soup

Another way to use lentils, this time with beans and sausage. Just the thing for a chilly, winter day.

 

mulligatawny soupMulligatawny Soup Recipe

Fusion food! This soup is Britain meets India. The UK brought the meat and the Tamils contributed the spice.  Note this is usually made with red lentils, but rice works too.

 

lamb and lentil soupLamb and Lentil Soup Recipe

Lamb and lentils pair beautifully together.  This soup is low-simmered on the stove (go do something else while it cooks and your kitchen becomes fragrant with tomatoes, lamb, and thyme).

 




Lamb and Lentil Soup Recipe

Lamb and lentil soup is rich, hearty, and filling.  It’s a great dish for a cold winter’s day. This recipe is for one serving of soup (more on that later).

I made some lamb broth from the lamb breast provencale recipe I posted a few days ago.  Since I wasn’t in a particular hurry, and it was chilly, I decided to use it up and make a single serving of lamb and lentil soup.   I’d just bought a bag of lentils, and lentils and lamb are a good combination.  Since it was an experiment, it was also a good way to test the recipe on a single serving of soup before I made a huge pot of it.

This recipe uses that lamb broth, plus lentils, diced tomatoes and thyme for lots of flavor.

It does take a while to cook, but once you get the ingredients together it’s mostly set it and forget it, so you can start it early and then go do something else while your soup simmers on the stove (and delicious smells start wafting through your home).

Serve with a chunk of crusty bread (to sop up every last drop of soup from the bottom of the the bowl).  Since this is “the single serving chef” you can be messy if you want.  Nobody will know.

I made this for one because I had one serving’s worth of broth. You can scale up the recipe, make a larger batch, and then freeze it in single serving containers (or save some for a fast lunch another day).

The other nice thing, is that while it does take a while to cook, the prep time is minimal.




Lamb and Lentil Soup Substitutions and Variations

  • If you don’t have the lamb broth, use beef broth (it won’t be lamb soup any longer, but it will still taste good)
  • Add 1/4 ground lamb to the soup (brown this as the first step in the recipe)
  • Replace the brandy with a robust red wine

More Lamb Recipes

greek lamb breastGreek Lamb Breast Recipe

Marinated in olive oil, garlic, and lemon, then slow-roasted for a deep, rich flavor.

 

Moroccan lamb stewMoroccan Lamb Stew with Almonds and Raisins

Flavored with cinnamon, a touch of ginger, raisins, almonds, and lamb.  The lamb is cooked slowly, so it practically melts in your mouth. Perfect for a sweet new year.

 

lamb breast provencale with rosemaryOne Person Slow Roasted Lamb Breast Provencal Recipe

Slow roasted with lots of garlic and rosemary, then topped with golden crunchy bread crumbs.  Ideal for a winter’s day.

 

leftover roast lamb eggplant spinach saladLeftover Roast Lamb Eggplant and Spinach Salad

Creamy eggplant, luscious lamb, and earthy spinach all tossed together with a garlicky easy cheat aioli.

 




Quick and Easy Spicy Leftover Turkey Soup

Every year after the holidays are over, we all end up with lots of leftover turkey. Lots and lots of it.  I’ve made a lot of the “standard” leftover turkey soup with  carrots and broccoli and maybe noodles or potatoes.  This time I wanted something with more zip.  I had some turkey (naturally), some tomatoes, lime, and of course spices, so I decided to go for a south of the border flavor.  So, spicy leftover turkey soup was born.

Ironically, a friend (who translates books from English to Spanish) once told me there are no turkeys in South America, which made her job rather difficult when she had to translate some turkey recipes for a cookbook she was working on.

I suppose that makes this not strictly authentic Mexican food.  So, let’s call it Tex-Mex. And, authentic or not, the tangy lime, the spicy cayenne, and the cool sour cream make the soup flavorful and satisfying.

UPDATE: I published this post some time ago, and decided it was time to refresh it. So, the beans have been swapped for potatoes. Then, I ditched the tomato sauce and replaced it with fire-roasted diced tomatoes. And, instead of ground cayenne, I used fresh hot banana pepper instead.  The flavor is now richer, more intense, and spicier.




Quick and Easy Spicy Leftover Turkey Soup Substitutions and Variations

  • If you don’t have a turkey carcass, use turkey thighs, depending on size, one or two should do it.
  • Add 1/2 a can of navy beans
  • Replace the potatoes with cooked rice (about 1/2 a cup)
  • Add a handful of frozen corn
  • Top with crumbled tortilla chips, or cut up some tortillas, fry them, and sprinkle them on top of the soup for extra crunch.

More Turkey Recipes

cranberry chipotle turkey burritoCranberry Chipotle Turkey Burrito

A delicious way to use up holiday leftovers and transform the flavors.  This is sweet, spicy, and tangy too.

 

sweet and sour jelly turkey meatballsSweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs

Remember those jelly meatballs you had as a kid? They’ve now grown up and gotten more complex.  Less sweet, more spicy.

 

easy leftover turkey soupEasy Leftover Turkey Soup Recipe

The classic leftover turkey soup, chock-full of potatoes, carrots, and (shhh) frozen veggies. Why chop if you don’t have to?

 

turkey pot pie for one personTurkey Pot Pie for One Person

Tender turkey, sweet peas and carrots all wrapped in a flaky all-butter crust. Make the crust (as I did) or buy one. It’s all good.