Hearty Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is a hearty, chunky Italian soup full of delicious vegetables that you can vary throughout the year depending on what is in season and what you have in your ‘fridge. Once all ingredients are chopped and ready to go, this soup really comes together in no time. Towards the end of the cooking time, add some beans for protein and a handful of any small sized pasta (which gets cooked al dente). If you happen to have a rind of Parmesan cheese on hand, don’t throw it out.  Instead, pop it into the soup for extra flavor and richness.

Make a big batch of this wholesome, hearty minestrone soup and enjoy it with some fresh, crusty bread rolls for supper, save it for packed lunches the next day, or, freeze a portion to enjoy another day. If you happen to have picky eaters in your family (who would rather not see vegetables), cook the soup without the pasta, whiz it in a blender and return it to the pot. Then add the  pasta and cook until it is done. Serve with some shaved Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Hearty Minestrone

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

A traditional Italian vegetable and pasta soup.

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 2 med. carrots, chopped
• 2 med. celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 ---- bay leaf
• 2 cups spinach or swish chard, chopped
• 1 cup Napa cabbage, chopped
• 1 can cannellini beans
• --- pinch red pepper flakes
• ⅔ cup ditalini pasta (or other small size pasta)
• --- --- Parmesan cheese ribbons for garnish
• --- --- extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onions, carrots and the celery until soft. Add the garlic, the salt and pepper and stir for one more minute.
2. Add the water, chicken stock, tomato sauce, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
3. Add the spinach, cabbage, red pepper flakes and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente.

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