A hot bowl of ASS (Awesome Sarah's Soup)

Years ago, we spent New Years Eve with my in-laws (cause we're crazy party animals like that) at their beach cottage in Ocean Shores, Washington.

The weather was typical Pacific Northwest winter; rainy, cold, grey, and generally just "meh".  I offered to cook dinner, and knowing we were all chilled, I settled on some soup.  It was a boring soup...or so I thought.  My in-laws scarfed down a few bowls, and then proceeded to name it A.S.S., or Awesome Sarah's Soup.  I was so proud. I'm pretty sure it was my first dirty word acronym. 

But not my last.

A.S.S
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced (oh come on, you know how much I love garlic!)
8 cups of chicken broth (try your own)
15 oz can of your choice of cooked beans (I use black)
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cups small cheese ravioli
1/4 tsp dried sage
1 tsp smoked paprika
1.5 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a heavy bottomed saucepan (like a dutch oven), drizzle a little olive oil.  Add the onions, celery, and carrots.  Stir to distribute the olive oil.  Put the lid on, and cook down for about 10 minutes, stir, and then cook another 5-10. 

2) Add your garlic.

3) Add your diced tomatoes.  These puppies are from my 2012 garden, but if you're buying them, get the basic 15 oz size.

4) Every few months I make a huge crockpot full of black beans, and freeze them in pint jars.  Technically you should let these defrost before trying to heat them to the point where the beans will come out.  Technically.  Those aren't ice crystals...those are um flavor crystals.

5) Add your chicken stock, and add the dried spices.  Put the lid on, and cook for another 20 minutes.

Up until now, this is a boring veggie soup.  Just wait my friends, just wait.

6) Add 2 cups of dried cheese ravioli. 

Put the lid on, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and some crusty dutch oven bread.

A hot bowl of ASS to warm you on a cold winter's day.