Well, I did it. I busted out my crock pot the other day and made a soup. I was pretending it was fall, I guess, even though there are not any colored leaves on the trees or anything, and it wasn’t too chilly outside. I just couldn’t resist anymore – I needed to throw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot and have it turn into a warm, hearty soup. I also found these adorable little stoneware bowls for $1.99 each at the Salvation Army. Can you believe that? How could I not make a nice autumn soup to put in them? 😉

And it was very nice to get back into that routine again. There’s something so rewarding about chopping up the vegetables, adding the broth and spices, then putting the lid on, turning up the heat and letting it go until it’s a warm, simmering, comforting soup.  And it’s so handy for me, especially because this week we’re trying to get into our home school routine for first grade, and when I start concentrating on one thing, I tend to forget other things. You know, minor things such as cooking and eating. 😉

This is a super easy recipe, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. You can use any kind of bean that you have on hand, and either chicken or vegetable broth is just fine for this recipe. Serve this with a salad and cornbread and you have a hearty, healthy fall meal!.