Edible Material Learn from The Baron’s Editor-In-Chief, Jiveney, how to stay healthily fed with this pasta & bean soup

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It can be difficult to manage your time when you are living the student life. Studying and finishing projects on time consume most of our days and it can be easy to neglect things that are important, like your health! Making meals can be extremely time consuming, and it is simple to just grab a bag of chips or hit the drive through.

This column will help you learn how to prepare meals that are healthy, budget friendly and quick. Sometimes the meals will involve a bit of prep time, but they will provide you with several servings. So in the end, you will still be saving your precious time.

This first recipe involves only a little bit of prep work, is very tasty and will leave you with about 5 or 6 delicious meals. It is quick and easy to just scoop some soup into a bowl, heat it and go. All of the ingredients can be found at Sobeys, as the recipe was in one of their ‘Inspired’ magazines.

Pasta & Bean Soup 8 Cups

Prep time: 10 minutes.

Total: 25 minutes

3 bacon strips diced

2 carrots diced

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

1 can stewed tomatoes (you can get this with no added salt if you like)

1 can romano beans drained and rinsed

½ tsp salt Pepper to taste

1 cup uncooked macaroni (Smart pasta or whole wheat is your best bet)

½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Step 1: In a large saucepan, sauté bacon over medium heat. When fat starts to render, add carrots and celery and sauté, 5 to 7 min. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in basil and oregano.

Step 2: Cut stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces in can. Add tomatoes and their juices, beans and chicken stock to saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Add macaroni and cook until cooked through but still firm, about 6 minutes. Transfer soup to bowls and serve with Parmesan sprinkled overtop.

Alternative Suggestions:

If you prefer a meatless meal, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth rather than chicken. If you don’t have parmesan cheese, use whatever you have on hand or omit it. If you have veggies on hand that need to be used, throw them in.

I hope you will try this soup and enjoy it. In the next issue I will give you a recipe for whole wheat oatmeal blueberry muffins and a delicious dessert that is easy on your waistline.

 

Emily is in her fourth year of Political Science. She loves studying and academics which follows into her research work. She's a stern black coffee drinker and is a proud Acadienne. When she's not working or doing school work, you can find Emily listening to 70s music on vinyl and watching Parks and Recreation. If you ask her about parliamentary institutions, she won't stop talking.