To my #COM3100 and #com3210news students and all my grad student friends, you need to nourish your body for your mind to work during finals. This recipe, improvised during tonight’s snowstorm, will fortify you for all those tests and final papers you’re wrapping up. The result is a tummy-warming soup that’s mild, nourishing, and filling. It’s easily customizable to vegan by substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock. It’s my gift to you as a former food page editor. Oh, and I want to give a shout out to The Desert Sun in Palm Springs and Holly Ocasio Rizzo for giving me the chance to learn all about food and cooking and actually be paid to do it.

It’s not that hard, and it’s entirely improvised. You can make up your own recipes, too, if you try.

Ingredients
Butter, whatever seems right to sautee chopped veggies
1 Vidalia onion, chopped into chunks
1 red pepper, chopped into chunks
4-5 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup water
1 can (14 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
1 can (14 oz.) black beans, drained
1 can (14 oz.) pinto beans, drained
1 carton chicken stock (I like the Costco stuff, whatever size that may be)
Parsley flakes, whatever seems right
Adobo w/cumin seasoning, a couple of generous shakes
Cracked black pepper, whatevs (yeah, I know “whatevs” is not AP style; I’m indy, so I get to make up my own style)
Sea salt, whatevs
1 package lemon-flavored Papardelle noodles (I got mine at Trader Joe’s)

Sautee chopped veggies in butter over low-medium heat until just south of firm.
Dump in water. Crank heat to high. Allow to simmer down, about 5 minutes.
Dump in drained beans.
Dump in chicken stock.
Dump in parsley flakes.
Dump in Adobo con cumin.
Crack that pepper and shake that salt into the pot.
Turn heat down to low. Simmer for 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Dump in Papardelle noodles. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve. Eat. Feel warmed and loved. Then go nail those final exams and projects. I believe in you. Go do it!