Day Thirty-Five

Did you know that you have to feed kids seven times a day? And sometimes eight? That's where I'm at with this whole stay-at-home thing. All I do is give my kids food.

Thus, I'm starting to make things that reheat well so I can call one day's lunch the next day's lunch as well. Because seriously. I don't think Mila ate this much before. The quantity of food that she is currently consuming is RIDICULOUS.

Alas, a simple soup. I'm trying to keep the vegetables going because left to their own devices, both kids will live off of not-vegetables. While Alexis isn't into sweets, the girl can down some potato chips. And Mila? She's all about the candy. So much candy.

 White Bean and Spinach Soup

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups broth (vegetable is my preferred broth, but chicken would also work)
2 cans Great Northern Beans
12-14 ounces fresh spinach (I use a bag of prewashed spinach, which I wash again because I'm paranoid)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt
black pepper

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the red pepper and garlic and sauté lightly for 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for another 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the broth, beans, rosemary, thyme, and basil to the pot and simmer on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the spinach. It will look like it's entirely too much spinach, but hold tight. It only takes a few minutes for it to shrink considerably.

4. Continue to simmer until the spinach wilts completely, approximately 5 minutes.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this soup immediately or leave it on low heat for as long as you need to. It holds up REALLY well.

An aside: If you decide to add acini de pepe, do it after the spinach has wilted and cook according to the instructions on the box. If you add it too soon, it turns mushy.