Minestrone is a classic Italian vegetable soup that is hearty, flavorful, and nutritious. Here is a recipe for making a delicious minestrone:
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (14 oz)
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (14 oz)
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup small pasta, such as macaroni or ditalini
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, green beans, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, broth, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Tips:
- You can add or substitute any vegetables you like in this recipe. Some other great options include potatoes, cabbage, spinach, or kale.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the Parmesan cheese.
- If you like a thicker soup, you can mash some of the beans with a fork or potato masher before adding the pasta.