Homemade Easy Minestrone Soup in 30 Minutes or Less

Written by on in For the Freezer, Recipes, Veggies and Fruit, Weeknight Favorites

Hello busy ladies and gentlemen, It’s been awhile since I posted on the blog, my life it a tad crazy right now, a lot of travel and work.  Being busy reminds me that I really cant afford to be disorganized, there’s so much going on, that keeping on task and on top of my lists is doubly important.

The last few days some veggies in my fridge were looking a tiny bit peaked….they’d been languishing a few days and I definitely needed to get them used up.  I looked at a few recipes and concocted an easy minestrone soup recipe that was truly amazing!  The best part, there’s enough for a lot of leftovers, or a second meal!  I made mine with chicken stock, because that’s what I had on hand, but you could make yours with vegetable stock and have a vegetarian version very easily.

30-Minute Easy Minestrone Recipe

Doesn’t it look yummy?  This is day 2 soup, rewarmed for my lunch today, and it was just as good as it was yesterday.  I think the key is not overcooking the zucchini and using SMALL zucchini that aren’t really strong in flavor.  I used yellow wax beans because that’s what I had, you can use frozen or canned green beans very easily, and really any vegetables or beans you have lying around.  This really is a “clean out the fridge” recipe.  You can freeze the vegetable soup part and reheat and serve over noodles any night you’re short on time.

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Minestrone in 30 Minutes or Less

Author Carrie Hill

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced fine
  • 1/2 large onion minced
  • 5 stalks celery chopped
  • 4 carrots chopped same size as celery
  • 1, 32 oz container chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 29 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can green beans or about 1 C frozen
  • 2 zucchinis quartered and sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup seashell or orichette pasta
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • for topping

Instructions

  1. In a large pot heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes. Add in minced celery and carrots, saute for about 5 more minutes. Salt a bit to bring the liquid out in the vegetables.
  2. Once the onions are translucent, add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce and bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes until it's boiling well. Reduce heat to a simmer and add beans, green beans, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are done.
  3. To ensure your pasta isn't gooey, I cook it separately until al dente and add a 1/4 cup or so cooked pasta to the bottom of the bowl before I ladle the vegetable soup over the top.
  4. top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and serve with grilled cheese! Yum!