Lighten up, it's just Christmas

While driving in traffic this week, I took the opportunity to change radio stations and mistakenly let a car length fill between me and the car in front.  As I moved my foot from the brake, I heard a honk from behind and glanced backwards only to receive a creative hand wave.  A bit later that afternoon, the husband pulled into the street only to be gestured and hollered at from what would have been a very sweet looking old lady. Add to this the scenes at the shopping mall and the facebook venting, it's clear that it's Christmas time in the city.

What does this have to do with food? Browsing the aisles of Whole Foods, I came across a beautiful bag of chestnuts and remembered a soup I made nearly two years ago when the dinner party marathon was in its earlier chapters.  Inspired, I picked up a bag and the remaining ingredients.  As I reminisced on the recipe, I recalled a labor intensive chestnut peel... imagining it was no worse than rolling out a pie crust I moved forward.  Without stress or procrastination I dove into this progress early Sunday afternoon and immediately remembered a whole different experience.  You have two choices when peeling chestnuts: straight from the steamer, you peel back the skin and dig out the scalding nut pieces, or once cooled you saw through the tightened skin to dig out nut pieces. Needless to say, it is clear that time filed down the memories of this prep, and while we enjoyed a good bowl of soup yesterday, we will not enjoy it again for another year.  

Christmas is a few days away.  Dubbed the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the suicide hotlines busiest evening.  I can only hope that all of us let time file down the memories enough to move lightly into the new celebrations.  If not, well... there are always pre-peeled chestnuts.


Chestnut and Celery Root Soup 
with Sage Croutons and Bacon
Recipe By: Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Soup
Budget Note: I consistently freeze the ends of bread loaves giving me great options for bread crumbs, stuffing on in this case, croutons. Enjoying a more rustic feel, I don't cut the crusts off of my croutons.  


1/2 loaf good quality french or italian bread
2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tsp. fresh sage, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 tsp celery seed
6 cups chicken broth
1 celery root, peeled and chopped
1 15-ounce jar steamed chestnuts
1/2 cup half and half

1. Cut off and discard crusts from the bread (optional). Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes; you should have about 4 cups bread cubes.
2. In a large frying pan, melt 1 TB of the butter with the olive oil over medium low heat.  Add the garlic and half of the sage and cook gently until the garlic is light golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard the garlic.  Raise the heat to medium, add 1/4 tsp salt and the bread cubes, and stir to coat the cubes with the flavored oil. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until the croutons are crisp and toasted 10-12 minutes. 
3. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined.  
4. Pour off all but 2 TB of the bacon grease, and return to medium heat.  Add the remaining 1 TB of butter, the onion and the celery and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add the celery seed and cook stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the stock, raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. 
5. Add the celery root and chestnuts and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the celery root is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, crumble the bacon and set aside. 
6. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and process until a smooth puree.  (You can also use an immersion blender.)  Pour the puree into a clean pot and add the half and half, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.  Place over medium-low heat and cook gently until heated through, about 10 minutes.  
7. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with bacon, croutons and the remaining sage.  Serve right away. 

For all of its drama, this is an amazing soup.  Creamy without being heavy, this is a wonderful holiday lunch.  It's all about the right nut, as it always seems to be this time of year. 

Saturday Soup

I have my moments that some would call dramatic.  Personally, I think I'm just a romantic.     When I envision life on a farm I think of beautiful sunny mornings enjoyed with family as I pick ripe vegetables  all the while dressed like Anna Nicole's Guess shoot circa 1992.  A bona-fide city girl, the closest I get to this vision is a weekly delivery from my CSA; a box filled with the freshest vegetables begging to be included in our weekly meals.  Having a CSA has brought more recipes into regular rotation than anything else;  it may be the best decision I have ever made as a home cook.  Faced with a box of veg, I often turn to one of my vegetarian cookbooks for inspiration.  Even as a meat eater, I find these an absolute necessity.  With vegetables sitting front and center, a vegetarian recipe is the best way to learn flavors, cooking techniques and most importantly, how to integrate new tastes to your everyday diet.

This week's CSA box included the season's first sweet potatoes and an array of spring onions.  Time to make one of my favorite vegetarian dishes:   Sweet Potato and Cashew Soup with Avocado Cream.  This healthful bowl of goodness with its tangy garnish is the perfect light lunch.  Ready in under an hour, we enjoy it on Saturday afternoons or as a light midweek meal paired with a salad.

Sweet Potato and Cashew Soup with Avocado Cream
Recipe By: Terry Walters, Get Clean
Avocado Cream:
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 avocados
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 TB lime juice
1/4 cilantro leaves (I omitted)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Soup:
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 TB grapeseed oil
3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
1 cup cashews
5 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock I had on hand)
Sea Salt
1/2 cup scallions (I omitted)

For the Avocado Cream:

1. With the food processor running, drop in garlic and process until minced.  
2. Halve avocados, and remove pits.  Scoop out avocado flesh, add to processor and whip until smooth.  Add yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and salt and process until evenly combined.  
3. Place in airtight container with pits to prevent browning and set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

For the Soup:

1. Place a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Add oil until shimmery.   Add onion and celery and saute until soft, 4 to 6 minutes.  
2. Add sweet potatoes, cashews and stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.  Season to taste with salt. 
4. Ladle into bowls and place a large dollop of cream on each portion.  Enjoy!

I used my immersion blender for this recipe, but can only imagine what a vitamix would do for the texture.  I did freeze individual portions of this soup, but without the avocado cream it tastes rather healthy.  Perhaps add a veggie sandwich to this lunch on the run for a full experience.  

Soup & Sandwich Sundays

I love Sunday dinners; comfort food leisurely enjoyed round the dining room table as family and friends savor what is left of the weekend.  I also love my husband and for several months a year am willing to give the Sunday meal a makeover to accommodate his favorite tradition: NFL football.

Though I've never been a fan of football, there is something about the smell of simmering soup and the sounds of sportscasters that take me back to the chilly northern falls of my youth.  Fast forward a few decades, I have actually grown to enjoy our new Sunday afternoons for the excuse to sit on the couch and leaf through magazines while my husband paces the family room and endures Pizza Hut commercials.  The perfect meal for these Sundays?  Soup and sandwich; not some condensed chicken noodle and a turkey on wheat but a thick and hearty soup paired with a pressed sandwich oozing with all of the indulgences of a weekend.  Add a few glasses of wine and a casual visit from friends; this is the stuff of greatness.

This soup was inspired by a recent issue of the Williams-Sonoma Catalogue.  Created for a Cuisine Art Soup gadget, it was easily reinterpreted for stovetop cooking.  With a hearty texture and rich flavors, this is a perfect soup enjoyed on the couch, at the dining room table, or from your thermos in the midweek.  

Smoky Lentil Soup
Recipe By: Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:
3 thick cut bacon slices, diced
2 TB Oil
1 Carrot, peeled and cut into a 1/4" dice
1 celery stalk cut into a 1/4" dice
1 large yellow onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves minced
1 TB tomato paste
1 14 oz. can peeled tomatoes crushed by hand (I used 1 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved)
3/4 cup Red Chief Lentils
1 quart chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Fry bacon in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat until crispy.  Remove from the skillet and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  
2. Lower heat, and add carrot, celery and onion. Saute until soft, about 7-8 minutes.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant; 90 seconds.  Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil add the lentils and lower heat to a simmer.  Cover, and simmer lentils until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.  
3. Using an immersion blender, give the soup a quick swirl; your intention is to puree about half of the soup.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  
4. Ladle into soup bowls and top with bacon. 

Williams-Sonoma recommended a Grown Up Grilled Cheese with this soup.  Finding their recipe a bit dull, I opted for Ina Garten's Ultimate Grilled Cheese.  An ultimate grilled cheese it was!

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Recipe By: Ina Garten, How Easy is That?

Ingredients:

12 slices thick cut bacon

1 cup good quality mayonnaise (I used Hellmans with olive oil)

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard (I used my homemade variety)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 loaf sourdough bread (12 slices)

6 TB salted butter at room temperature (I salted my unsalted butter to prevent buying two ingredients)

6 ounces aged Gruyere or Comte cheese

6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the bacon on a baking rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned .  Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and cut in 1 inch pieces.  
2. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Lay 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each one lightly with butter.  Flip the slices and spread each one generously with the mayonnaise mixture.  Don't neglect the corners. 
3. Grate the cheese in a food processor fitted with the largest grating disk and combine.  Distribute the bacon evenly on half of the slices of bread.  Pile 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon and top with the remaining bread slices, sauce side down. 
4. Meanwhile, heat an electric panini press.  When the press is hot, cook the sandwich for 3-5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.  Allow to cool for 2  minutes.  Cut in half and serve warm.  

These rich sandwiches are a meal in themselves.  This is certainly a meal that you can cook in the afternoon and completely neglect all eating for the rest of the day.  If you are lucky enough to have vegetarian friends stop by with cookies, sub the bacon for canned tomatoes and enjoy over wine.  This is what Sundays are made for.
Budget Note:  Batches of soup make quite a few portions; even this family can let them go bad before finishing an entire pot. My recommendation?  Purchase 1-2 cup tupperware containers and freeze individual servings.  These make perfect lunches on the go, or a last minute dinner on a chilly evening.

Classic with a Twist

I started cooking in the most American way..... it did not involve days in the kitchen with my grandma, nor holidays spent mastering family recipes.  Though my mother is a fantastic cook, she thought better than to move an unwilling ADD child into the kitchen to mess up her groove.  I started cooking from a Rival Crock Pot and a Fix it and Forget it cookbook.  About a month later, I had grown accustomed to skipping the drive thru, but was quite sick of soup.  My next cookbook purchase was entitled "chicken".  My aspirations were not high in the beginning years.  I still have that ten year old crockpot, and on occasion, break it out for a slow simmered meal.  

My family has come to expect chicken soup on at the first sign of a cold, allergies or general bad day.  As I walked my youngest into school last week amidst a sea of hacking children, I was sure fall's first cold was upon us.  This recipe from Food Network Magazine takes your everday chicken soup and gives it a twist.  With lemon zest, fresh dill and a sprinkling of feta cheese, this soup is delicious and unexpected.  Simple to prepare, it is the perfect thing to throw together pre work, and enjoy with a crusty piece of bread in the evening.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Pasta Soup
Food Network Magazine April 2010 (adapted somewhat)
Ingredients:
4 carrots quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 long strips lemon zest
4 sprigs fresh dill plus 2-3 TB chopped
kosher salt
4 skills, boneless chicken breasts
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup small pasta
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 bunch fresh spinach, stemmed
freshly ground pepper
4 ounces feta cheese
Lemon wedges and crusty bread

1. Combine the carrots, lemon zest, dill sprigs, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 5-6 quart slow cooker.  Season the chicken with salt and add to the cooker.  Add the broth and 4 cups water, cover and cook on low, about 8 hours.  
2. About 20 minutes before serving, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook 1 cup pasta according to package instructions. Drain, and reserve. (The original recipe suggests placing the dry pasta into the crock pot 20 minutes before serving.  I don't like doing this as I think the pasta takes on a weird texture.) 
3. Remove chicken from the crock and using two forks, shred into bite sized pieces.  Return to the crock pot.  Stir the chopped dill, peas, and spinach into the soup and cover until the spinach wilts, about 2  minutes.  Add pasta, and season with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowl and crumble feta on top.  Serve with lemon wedge and crusty bread.  

What a fantastic take on traditional chicken noodle; a perfect way to ward off your fall sniffles, or just end a long day in the cold. 

A Lever House Meal

There are few places I love more than New York; my dream of life in the big city began at age 12 after spending the summer at the Jeoffery Ballet School,  it only increased when Carrie Bradshaw ran down Madison Avenue ten years later.  Though Texas is my home, Jersey relatives and Brooklyn besties allow for frequent opportunities to play New Yorker.  For me, a meal in New York is more than food; it is an opportunity to fantasize a life amidst the amazing energy and unique allure.  Years ago, Mom and Dad treated the husband and I to a meal at the Leaver House.  Not sure if it was the jetway-like entry, the gorgeous bar, or the Martha Stewart sighting, but by the end of the meal I was in love.  Luckily, they have a cookbook.

I'm not usually a fan of restaurant cookbooks, however this particular one has a few recipes fit for a home cook.  This recipe for white bean soup is not only attainable, but a true marriage of comfort food and gourmet cuisine.   Originally created for a local newspaper's request for a one pot meal, this is a hearty yet luxurious soup.  Planned for a family dinner, I began preparations only to realize that I would not finish the dish before the clock struck extra curricular hour. The solution?  Moving it to the crock pot.  Luckily, this worked and the family enjoyed a piece of New York at the Texas table.

White Bean and Chorizo Soup with Poached Farm Egg
Recipe By: Dan Silverman & Joann Cianciulli
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 pound dried cannellini beans, picked through and rinsed
Bouquet garni (1 large leek green 4 celery leaves, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf)
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. plus additional to taste
1 pound Palacios chorizo (I used sausage form my local farmer)
2 large Spanish onions finely diced
5 or 6 celery stalks, finely diced
freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 bunches green swiss chard chiffonade (I used rainbow)
6-8 large farm fresh eggs
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon fleur de sel

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and add cool water to cover by 2 inches.  Soak the beans in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or over-night. Drain and rinse thoroughly. 
2. Transfer the beans to a medium stockpot.  Add the bouquet garni and fresh water to just cover, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and let simmer until tender, about 1 hour.  Periodically, skim the foam that rises to the top.  
3. When done, the beans should be soft and creamy but not mushy. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt only when they are cooked through and tender.  Remove from the heat.  Discard the bouquet garni. Strain the beans from their cooking liquid and reserve the broth.  You should have at least 1 quart of cooking liquid. (I only had 2.5 cups of liquid, and added chicken broth to compensate.) 
4. Film a large Dutch oven or saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil and place over medium heat.  Add the sausage and saute for 5 minutes, until the oil is a vibrant red color (but don't over-brown the sausage).  Add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes.  Add the reserved beans and stir well to combine, mashing them a bit with the back of a wooden spoon.  Pout in 1 quart of the cooking liquid and bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and gently simmer for about 20 minutes, skimming any froth that rises to the surface.  
5. Stir in the swiss chard and continue to cook until the chard has wilted into the soup and is tender, about 10 minutes. 
6. Meanwhile, fill a wide pot with 3 inches of water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.  When the water is just barely bubbling , carefully crack 2 or 3 eggs into it spacing them apart.  Poach for 3 minutes, until just cooked but the yolks are still soft.  Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to a plate and dab the bottom of the eggs with paper towels to blot dry. Repeat with the remaining eggs.  
7. Ladle hot soup into warm bowls, place a poached egg on top, and sprinkle the egg with a little paprika and fleur de sel.  Drizzle the soup with a few drops of olive oil.  

After sautéing the vegetables on the stove and combining them with the beans and cooking liquid, I moved my soup to the crock pot.  The soup simmered for about two and half hours on the low heat setting.  Upon my return, I increased the heat setting to high, added the chard and covered for an additional 15 minutes.  Slow cooked gourmet... what more do you want?

Cold Cure

"But mom, it's hot outside!"


It was nearly 100 degrees on a typical mid August evening. I had announced the night's dinner of chicken noodle soup and understandably, my moody pre-teen was not pleased.  Fast forward a few months; it is an 80 degree evening in October and autumn's first cold has settled in on the said pre-teen.  I waited for the formal request, but already planned to cook up a steaming bowl of mom's chicken noodle soup. Regardless of the weather this soup seems to cure allergies, fevers or indescribable funks.  


My mother makes a fantastic chicken soup, and reliably had a pot waiting for me whenever I returned home from college for winter break.  When I began cooking, it was one of the first soups that I was determined to master.  About five years and many recipes later, I am happy to offer my own recipe.  

Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe created by: Lori Pierce
1 TB Grapeseed oil
1 large yellow onion finely diced
3 stalks celery,  chopped
3 medium carrots peeled, and chopped
2 cups cooked chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces*
2 quarts chicken stock
1 and 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried pasta noodles
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion and stir.  Add the celery and saute until both the onion and celery have softened, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the carrots, stir to combine and cook 3-5 minutes.  Add the chicken, stock, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil skimming off any foam as needed.  
2. Add the pasta noodles and cook until al dente; I use whatever leftover pasta noodles I have in the pantry, this time it was cavatappi which took about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the balsamic vinegar.  Serve and enjoy!

The curing power of this soup requires one final step; for the oldest a large hunk of country bread and cup of lemon zinger tea is required.  For the youngest, it is a bowl of the strained broth and well placed noodles, for me a nice dollop of siracha clears out the sinuses, and for the husband it is a bowl covered in saran wrap left in the fridge as a post homework  post homework. Regardless of the side or condiment, we feel fantastic after devouring a generous bowl.  

*If I am without leftover roasted chicken I liberally salt and pepper one whole chicken breast and bake it in a 400 degree oven until fully cooked.  

Pantry Raid

In my quest to stretch our monthly grocery budget, I have taken to a ritual pantry raid; a literal scouring of the pantry's contents in pursuit of undiscovered meal potential. This month's raid offered a plethora of dried beans.  What better way to kick off the beginning of fall than with some homemade soups?  One flip through my recipe collection, a few bags of fresh produce and I was ready to prepare three outstanding and inexpensive dishes.  The first two recipes are courtesy of the October issue of Food Network Magazine.  The last is a tried and true Ina Garten recipe that you may remember from party #49.  


Cranberry Bean Pasta Fagioli
One of my many culinary embarrassments includes my college-year love affair with the Olive Garden's Soup, Salad, and Breadstick.  To this day, I cannot serve Pasta Fagioli without a huge salad and buttery slices of garlic bread.  I do however skip the post-meal keg stand... even my nostalgia has its limits. 

Active: 45 minutes            Total: 2 hours 25 minutes

5 TB extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

5 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small onion

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 2-ounce piece of pancetta*

5 canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand* 

Kosher salt

3 pounds fresh cranberry beans in pods, shelled (or 1 cup dried cranberry beans soaked overnight. I used this option.)

2 bay leaves

1 piece parmesan cheese rind, plus 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and more for topping.

2 cups small pasta, such as shells or ditalini*

1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves chopped

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat 3 TB olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, rosemary and pancetta, if using, and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes; season with salt. Add the beans, 3 quarts water, the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.  (At this stage, I froze half of the soup and therefore used half of the pasta and kale.  I then added the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.)
2. Uncover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until aldente, about 8 minutes.  Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender 5 to 6 more minutes. (This soup should be thick and creamy thin with water if necessary) 
3. Remove the bay leaves, parmesan rind and pancetta.  Add the grated parmesan, parsley, the remaining 2 TB olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with more olive oil and parmesan. 

Note: I had a package of sliced pancetta on hand; I diced up these slices and left them in the soup.  I also used home canned tomatoes in place of the San Marzano, however my favorite substitute was the use of whole wheat pasta.  Cranberry beans have a nutty, almost chestnut-like flavor.  The whole wheat pasta complimented this flavor beautifully and added another nutritious edge to this bowl of goodness. 

Slow Cooker Squash Stew
This was a fantastic soup, however it did not fare well during the reheat process; I recommend making this without any plans for leftovers.  
Active: 35 minutes         Total: 35 (plus 8 hours in the slow cooker)
3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 TB Tomato Paste
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 cups dried chickpeas, rinsed
1 pound butternut squash peeled and cut into large pieces
1 bunch swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and roughly chopped
1 piece of parmesan rind, plus grated parmesan for topping (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and golden brown, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.  Stir in 1/2 cup water, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Add the chickpeas, squash, chard stems (not the leaves) the parmesan rind, if using, 2 teaspoons salt and 7 cups of water to the slow cooker.  Stir, then cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  
3. Just before serving, lift the lid and stir in the chard leaves; cover and continue cooking 10 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and stir to slightly break up the squash.  Discard the parmesan rind. Ladle into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.     

Rosemary White Bean Soup
Serves 6
Sometimes, a basic bowl of creamy soup is essential to good living.  This is just the soup for such occasion. 
1 pound white cannellini beans (I used great northern beans) soaked overnight
4 cups sliced yellow onions (3 onions)
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1.  In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10-15 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 3 more minutes.  Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf.  Cover and bring to a boil, and simmer 30-40 minutes. 
2. Remove rosemary branch and bay leaves and pass soup through the food mill (I used an immersion blender and coarsely pureed.) 
3. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I served this soup with a beet and goat cheese salad.  It was perfect for dinner and even better served from our family thermoses the following afternoon.

Don't have beans in the pantry?  MSN money did report a 20% price increase... the good news is that they are still under a dollar a pound.  Need a budget friendly menu, but your pantry is bean free?  Post questions in the comment box; I'm sure there is something perfect for your family table.