Low-Fat St. Joseph’s Humble Soup! Whether you’re celebrating St. Joseph’s Day or just craving a bowl of nostalgia, this humble soup is sure to warm your heart and soul.

Welcome to the world of Low-Fat St. Joseph’s Humble Soup, where traditional Italian flavors meet a health-conscious twist! This delightful soup, a staple on St. Joseph’s Day, is typically rich with olive oil and lavishly topped with Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese. But fear not, my fellow food lovers! Our Whole Food Plant-Based version leaves out those heavy ingredients, creating a light yet flavorful broth that dances on your palate.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

We absolutely adored this simple and humble soup! It’s the kind of dish that wraps you in a cozy embrace with every spoonful. Perfect for those chilly evenings or when you’re in need of some cozy comfort, this soup brings together the wholesome goodness of beans and pasta, making it a delightful addition to your table.

Dive into this nourishing bowl of comfort, and let it become a regular in your meal rotation. You won’t regret it!

Tips for Success:

Flavor Profile: This Low-Fat St Joseph’s Humble Soup is classic Italian soup. Traditionally this dish is heavy in olive oil and topped with both Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses; however, this Whole Food Plant Based soup does not use any of these ingredients. The broth is light on the palate yet has flavor. The soup is traditionally served on St Joseph’s Day where pasta and bean types of humble soups are served.
Low-Fat Dish Expectations: This dish was designed to be low in fat. Because it is low in fat, you are not going to experience that endorphin rush associated with eating high-fat foods when eating this dish. It is very tasty for what it is, and that is a low-fat dish. We just want to make sure that our Readers recognize this when contemplating making this recipe. If you wish to make it more indulgent, add the Vegan Parmesan Cheese on individual servings. The vegan parmesan cheese totally takes it over the top.
Herbs/Spices: This soup is intentionally lightly flavored. It was designed especially for individuals who are looking for a lighter-flavored soup to emphasize the humbleness of Lent which is reflective of this soup. You can easily add some herb/spices if you wish.
Joseph’s Humble Soup: Also known as Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans) or better known as Pasta Fagioli. Pasta Fagioli is a pasta and beans soup in a tomato-based broth. There are many types of dishes served on St. Joseph’s Day which is March 19^th both humble and festive dishes are eaten. Minestrone as well as pasta and sardines are often served on St. Joseph’s Day. Others prefer to keep with a humble Lenten soup that reflects the solemnity and reverence of the Lent. This soup (ditalini and kidney beans in a light tomato broth) was popular in our family for St. Joseph’s Day.
Kidney Bean Substitutions: Feel free to use your favorite bean or none at all and just increase the amount of pasta used.
Ditalini Substitutions: Feel free to use your favorite petite cut pasta (such as elbows, couscous, or orzo).
Amount of Dry Pasta: The amount of dry pasta used in this soup is relative, meaning, you can use as much or as little as you wish. We used ¾ cup of dry pasta which allowed for a generous amount of broth.
Gluten Free Pasta: Feel free to use gluten free pasta, we suggest keeping it separate from the broth as gluten free pastas tend to make soup broths murky from the excess starches.
Mashing the Beans: Mashing the bean is optional. It just slightly thickens the broth.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the tomato sauce) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. If you prefer that tinny taste that is typically associated with canned tomatoes, feel free to leave it out or only add a pinch.
Optional Topper – Vegan Parmesan Cheese: We used our recipe, Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Feel free to use your favorite vegan parmesan cheese recipe. A sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese on individual servings really elevates this dish.
Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.

This soup can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite low-sodium vegetable stock.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Equipment:

Large stock pot with lid

If you try this wholesome soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Low-Fat St. Joseph’s Humble Soup

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Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes (+15 Minute Rest Time)
Yield: 8 Cups 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Welcome to the world of Low-Fat St. Joseph’s Humble Soup, where traditional Italian flavors meet a health-conscious twist!

Instructions

In a large stockpot, sauté the chopped onions for 7 to 9 minutes over medium-high heat until they start to become tender. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking/burning if needed.
Add the minced garlic to the pot, continue to sauté over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Next add all the remaining Base Ingredients (except the baking soda and ditalini) and the Spice/Herb Ingredients, stir well, bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Add the baking soda, stir well. Then add the ditalini and kidney beans, simmer according to the time provided on the pasta package directions.
Once the pasta is just about tender, fish out about ¼ cup of the kidney beans, place in a small bowl and mash the kidney beans into a thick paste with a fork, then return to the pot, mix well to incorporate.
Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and the pasta to infuse with the soup broth flavors.
Top individual servings with a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving: 4 to 6 (makes 8 cups)

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