Tomato Soup with White Beans and Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (I used seasoned--you can use one with chili peppers if you want more of a kick)
• 28 oz. low-sodium chicken broth (I used 28 ounces of water and added an envelope of dry soup mix)
• 1/2 cup small pasta
• 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add oregano, stir once, then add tomatoes with juice and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.
2. Add pasta, stir, and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir in beans, lower heat and simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in parsley and serve, drizzling each portion with additional olive oil if desired. 
3. Can sprinkle a little cheese on the top before serving, if desired.  (We used parmesan--yummy!)

*The serving size on the recipe said it served 4 so I quadrupled it.  I now have a mountain of soup.  We could probably eat it for a week, so I would say that it probably really serves 6-8. 

Most all of the kids really liked it and the grown-ups all really liked it too!