Italian Pasta & Bean Soup

I make this soup at least twice a month, and I never get tired of it. It's also my kids' favorite. In fact, it's one of the ONLY soups I make that inspires my most picky child to exclaim, "Yay! Bean and shell soup!" He likes it because the beans try to "hide" inside the shells, but there's no escaping a hungry six-year-old.  I served this soup with sweet cornbread last night.

One of the things that makes this soup good is to grill your chicken.  It makes the chicken pieces so tender and flavorful.

Also, I used to use canned chicken broth until I discovered chicken bouillon in bulk at Winco--it's just as flavorful and about one-tenth the cost.  (Thanks for the tip, Cori!)