Classic
Minestrone Soup yield: 8
cups of soup
Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone
soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It’s vegan, too,
if you don’t top it with cheese.
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium
yellow onion, chopped
2 medium
carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium
ribs celery, chopped
¼
cup tomato paste
2
cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini,
butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
4 cloves
garlic, pressed or minced
½
teaspoon dried oregano
½
teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can
(28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
4 cups (32
ounces) vegetable broth
2
cups water
1
teaspoon fine sea salt
2 bay
leaves
Pinch of red
pepper flakes
Freshly ground
black pepper
1 cup whole
grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
1 can (15
ounces) canned beans, drained and rinsed or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
2 cups baby
spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
2
teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly grated
Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Warm 3
tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium
heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato
paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have
softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the seasonal
vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring
frequently, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the
diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and
red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Raise heat to
medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with
the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary
to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook for 15
minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue
simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente and
the greens are tender.
Remove the pot
from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and
remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually
add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish
bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like. Enjoy!
Recipe from Cookie and Kate
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