1 quart beef broth
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 1/4 inch strip lean salt pork (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. lean pork or 1 ham bone
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup mixed dry beans
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
1/2 cup frozen baby lima beans
2 onions, chopped
2 sticks celery
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
small soup pasta (any kind)
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop the pork into 1/3-inch cubes.

In a heavy Dutch oven, sauté pork (and salt pork, if using) over low heat with olive oil/butter, chopped onion and garlic. When onions are clear, add chopped tomatoes. The tomatoes may be peeled, if desired, by dipping briefly in boiling water until the skins crack.

Pour in the beef broth and dry beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Remove strings from celery and thinly slice; add to pot.

Simmer for 1 hour. Add rice. When beans are beginning to become tender, add peas and lima beans, basil and oregano (if fresh oregano is available, use 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano instead). Simmer the soup (barely a bubble) for another hour or so.

During the final 30 minutes of cooking, a small soup pasta may be added directly to the pot (or cooked separately and added - good for leftover pasta). Alphabet pasta, penne, fettucine, angel hair (broken into 1 inch pieces), orzo, or even pot pie or homemade noodles or spaetzle go well in this soup. If homemade noodles are used, cook separately.

If a thicker soup is desired, some tomato puree, as much or as little as you like, may be added during the final half hour of cooking (to preserve the fresh flavor of the tomatoes). Either fresh ripe tomatoes may be used, or Pomi brand puree, which is not over processed.

Note: A Slow Cooker may be used for this recipe provided that it has a low enough heat setting to not cause the soup to boil, since this soup should be simmered, not boiled. The temperature of the soup should be kept between 170°F and 190°F for the duration of the cooking.

Submitted by: CM