minestrone soup and caramelized pears

Grey rainy days call for soup! I like the way soup and baked desserts fill the house with comforting smells so I turned to Minestrone Soup and Caramelized Pears.

First off, the Minestrone Soup recipe is very quick and easy. This version includes onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, cabbage, zucchini, kidney beans and macaroni. The only herb added is fresh rosemary, that and the parmesan make this soup's flavour unique. I used a can of San Marzano tomatoes, which I think give a great Italian tomato flavour. I love it and will probably continue to make this recipe down the road. Owen had this soup for dinner as well. I left out the broth but pureed all the veggies, beans and pasta along with a portion of baked sweet potato. He loved it!

The Caramelized Pears scream 'low-budg' since there are only three ingredients: pears, sugar and water. But the final result is so sophisticated tasting! I have to admit, this wasn't really delicious and I probably won't make it again.