Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup

This recipe makes a huge pot of soup, which is wonderful! It heats up perfectly for leftover lunch and dinner throughout the rest of your week. It is very comforting knowing when you arrive home after a long day at work that a nice healthy dinner will already be made. 

Do not be afraid to switch around some of the vegetables in this soup. If there is one in there that you do not care for- do not add it! And if you do not see your favorite on there- throw it in! That is the beauty of a hearty vegetable minestrone soup...there are so many options to customize to make it your own soup. 

This soup will fill you up and keep you full for the rest of your day. The best part because it is broth-based, it is not too heavy. It makes the perfect lunch because it will not weigh you down in the afternoon. 

I know old man winter is knocking on a lot of our days in the next couple of days here...so whip up a batch of this soup (freeze half if you cannot finish it all at once!) and keep yourself warm from the impending snow!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion (Diced)

2 Small Zucchini (Diced)

1 Carrot (Diced)

3 Celery Stalks (Diced)

4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)

1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine (Optional)

6 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

2 Cups Water

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon Thyme

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

2 Bay Leaves

12 Roma Tomatoes (Diced)

2 Cups of Cooked Beans- I used 1 Cup Kidney Beans/1 Cup Black Beans (Can you use canned as well)

1 Cup Dried Pasta of your Choice

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese and Parsley for Topping

That is a lot of veggies!

STEP ONE: Grab the biggest pot you have- a stockpot preferably. That is one thing this kitchen is currently lacking so I made it happen with a large pot... My soup was dangerously close to the top by the end. Just living life on the edge :) 

STEP TWO: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. 

STEP THREE: Add into the pot- onion, zucchini, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 7 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

STEP FOUR: We now move onto the deglazing portion of the recipe! Add in the red wine and stir...now....use your spatula to scrape up any brown bits that will stick to the bottom of pan. Keep doing this for 2 minutes...isn't that fun?

STEP FIVE: Add in the chicken/vegetable broth, water, oregano, thyme, black pepper, red pepper flakes (gives it a little kick!), bay leaves, tomatoes and beans. Stir all together. 

(You can see this is a hearty soup)

STEP SIX: Cover the soup with a lid. Bring to a boil- then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let is simmer for 20 minutes. Enjoy the smells that are surely wafting from your kitchen by this point. 

STEP SEVEN: Add in the pasta noodles and stir them into the soup. Let them cook until they are cooked to your liking. 

STEP EIGHT: Remove the bay leaves...no one wants to accidentally eat a bay leave...trust me on this one. 

STEP NINE: Ladle into your giant soup bowl. Top with parmesan cheese and parsley and Enjoy! 

*Adapted from one of my favorite food bloggers: Gimme Some Oven http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/minestrone-soup/