Happy Monday y’all from this Hungry Southern Belle.  I am SO excited that I get to introduce an extra special Hungry Southern Belle guest blogger this morning!  Next to my friend Beth from Atlanta, Christina is my oldest best friend from back when I lived in Connecticut (and Lord knows I’ll get some scolding from any of my proper Southern readers for saying oldest but we’ve literally known each other since our early early grade school – dare I say Preschool days!!!)  Christina now lives in my favorite city – New York.  When I saw her post about her Grandmother’s famous soup (oh how I remember it so!!!), I knew that she had to post about it for all of you to enjoy as well.  Before I let you start reading her fabulous recipe, I thought I’d give you a little picture to show you our fun times in her kitchen way back with her brother Christopher.  Ah…the good old days!  Enjoy y’all!  (and a BIG THANKS to you Christina!!!)

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Guest post as written by Christina Corso

I get lots of comments from friends and family when I post pictures of my homemade recipes on Facebook and Instagram, but I was especially flattered when the editor-in-chief of A Hungry Southern Belle saw my St. Joseph’s Soup and thought it looked good enough for a guest blog!  Casey and I go waaaay back as friends in grade school in Fairfield, CT, before she moved to Atlanta, GA almost 30 years ago.   As kids, we used to love to play “restaurant” in my mom’s kitchen – my little brother was usually our best customer!

This particular recipe that I am sharing is a Corso family favorite, passed down from my beloved Sicilian Grandmother Rose.  I have an Uncle Joe, so she would make this soup to celebrate his “name day” on March 19^th.  The “Feast of St. Joseph” is actually a big holiday in Italy (as well as in Portugal and Spain) and also holds significance because it falls on Father’s Day in these countries.

The soup typically includes legumes, and I’ve seen many different variations of it.  Grandma Rose’s is very easy to make and tastes delicious!  She’s gone now, but I think of her every time I make this and how I used to enjoy it as a child in her house.  It’s a wonderful thick soup for the Winter months – enjoy!

Grandma Corso’s St. Joseph Soup

Ingredients

2 large chopped onions

Chopped Fennel (about the same amount as the onions); save feathery tops

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

2 16 oz bags frozen peas

1 16 oz. bag/box frozen lima beans

2 16 oz. cans of chicken broth (or vegetable broth may be used)

2 tsp. sugar, salt & pepper to taste

Yield:  4-6 servings

Directions

• Chop the onion and fennel and sauté in a large pot using 2-3 tsp. olive oil.You will use the same pot for the soup.

• Add broth, crushed tomatoes, peas, lima beans, sugar, salt and pepper.You can also add the feathery tops from the fennel if you like.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes covered.Mixture should be on the thick side.

Can be served with Italian bread.