Fall Flavors :: Tuscan Bean Soup & Apple Chicken Salad

October 14, 2013 By Katie 122 Comments

In case nobody else has noticed – though I’m sure you most certainly have – fall is in full swing! Nighttime is coming faster each and every day, the weather outside is getting much cooler, and everyone seems to be feeling a little bit more blase than usual – but not in our house! Well, not at dinnertime, anyway. I have to admit, I was in a little bit of a dinner rut for a while. I seemed to be making the same things over and over again. I knew it, and my family knew it. But I have since come across something amazing, and I’m sure you won’t believe me if I tell you it’s been 100% effective in getting me out of my dinner doldrums. Do you want in on my secret? Okay, it’s not really a “secret” at all…. There’s a website called Marzetti Kitchens^SM, and it has truly been a lifesaver for me. It has so many recipes for the different seasons, cuisines (Asian, Barbecue, Italian, etc), and categories (such as main dishes, side dishes, soups, etc.). Since it’s been so cold outside as of late, I knew I wanted to make some warm soup for dinner. I also wanted to try making something with apples since they’re in their prime right now. I did a quick search on the Marzetti Kitchens site, and here are two of the recipes I found that we’ve tried out recently:

1. Tuscan Bean Soup. It was exactly what I was looking for! A warm, hearty soup that had so much depth of flavor, we seriously could not stop eating it! I was able to make a fabulous home-cooked meal without having to spend my whole day in the kitchen. The garlic bread that I toasted, cubed, and layered in the bottom of the dish is actually the very easy-to-prep New York Brand® Texas Garlic Toast which we always have on hand in our house. And it really was my favorite part! Placing the toasted cubes of garlic bread underneath the soup was sort of an epiphany for me – it was just like dipping bread into the soup bowl!

Here’s the recipe, because I think that you, too, need to make this!

4.8 from 14 reviews

Tuscan Bean Soup or Ribollita

Ingredients

6 slices New York Brand® Texas Garlic Toast
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bacon, diced
1 cup chopped onions
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 (15.8 oz) cans white beans
6 cups chicken stock
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake New York Brand® Texas Garlic Toast according to package directions. Cool and cut into 1½" pieces.
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon bits.
Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Carefully puree half of soup in small batches, returning it to soup pot.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Transfer New York Brand® Texas Garlic Toast pieces to a Dutch oven or a large deep ovenproof baking dish. Pour soup over bread and bake 30 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

2. Apple Chicken Salad. This is one of the fall apple recipes that I found on their site. Can I tell you that I simply love this salad? I could eat it every day. First off, the ingredients in this salad are great on their own, but put them together and they create a whole new level of flavor! And then there’s the Simply Dressed® Balsamic Salad Dressing that is out of this world good! This was the first time I’ve tried it, and I was so, so impressed! I think I have a new favorite salad & dressing.

This recipe takes no time at all to make, which is perfect for when you need to squeeze in a quick, delicious dinner before basketball practice and piano lessons.

You can find this recipe for Apple Chicken Salad on the Marzetti Kitchens website, and while you’re there, you should take a look around and see what inspiration you can get for making a fabulous dinner tonight! Here’s what I’m making the rest of this week: Barbecue Pulled Pork or Chicken Mini Sliders, Chicken and Noodle Pot Pie, Quick Fix Garlic Toast Pizza What Marzetti Kitchens recipe do you want to try?? Share your favorite in the comments below for a chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card!

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