Baked Potato Soup

Super easy and great for a fall night. The soup is not thick but its hearty. I made a half recipe and it was the perfect amount for Will and I with a little left over for lunch.

Ingredients
4 ounces bacon, small dice
1 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
5 medium garlic cloves
1 medium russet potato, large dice
2 medium red potatoes, large dice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 quart (8 cups) chicken stock
1 sourdough baguette, cut into1-inch pieces (can use any thick/dense bread)
1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
Sour cream, for garnish
3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions
Heat bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp and fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plated with a slotted spoon and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings.

Return pot to stove and add onions and garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add potato and stir to coat. Add vinegar and scrape up any browned bits. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potato is fork tender, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450degreesF and arrange a rack in the upper third.
When soup is ready, ladle into 8- to 12-ounce ovensafe bowls and top with two baguette slices. Pile cheese and bacon on top and repeat to make 4 to 6 servings. Place on a baking sheet and place in oven until cheese is melty and browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly, top each bowl with a dollop sour cream and a sprinkling of green onions and serve.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped
2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact (dried fine)
1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact (dried fine)
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans (Great Northern)
1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups ditalini
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table
Crusty bread, for mopping

Directions
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping

Spicy Tomato Soup

Another Giada recipe. This is probably the easiest thing ever to make and it tasted great on a chilly evening.

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

1 medium onion
1 red pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 cans whole tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
cook onions, peppers, and garlic until soft
add rest and bring to boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes and then puree.
It's a nice version of tomato soup for the summer and tastes really fresh because of the peppers.