Carmela Soprano's Minestrone using Canned Vegetable Soup

Carmela's, excuse me, Paulie's Chicken Soup with Orzo is a fine, homemade recipe.

I'm sure everyone's got a version of the recipe in the family.

But, sometimes you want, no... need, soup in less than 3 hours.

No problem.

Time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

And just as much in a rush as the rest of us.

There's a fine quickie soup recipe in Jennifer's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, 

and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

It tastes homemade.

And if you shove the cans down deep in the recycling bin, it'll be your secret.

Dr. Jennifer Melfi is good at keeping secrets, isn't she?

If you're using canned soup that needs water, add the water before heating.

Two cans, with water added, will leave you with about 38 ounces soup.

This recipe was originally designed to serve two.

I doubled it.

Leftover soup is always good.

And even quicker the next day.

                        Melfi's Minestrone

Serves 4

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.

Add

a pinch of salt

1/2 Cup orzo or other small pasta

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender, about 4 minutes.

Reserving some of the water, drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat in another pot

2 19-ounce cans vegetable soup (or soup and water)

While the soup is simmering, stir in

1/2 Cup chopped ham

the cooked orzo

Add some of the cooking water if the soup is too thick.

Turn off the heat.

Stir in

4 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Serve hot.

Would I make Melfi's Minestrone again?

Sure.

And I didn't learn about this recipe from her.

Ma worked full time at Lily Tulip.

You think she didn't use short cuts?

One recipe down.  Forty-nine more to go.