My cooking crush, Ina Garten, made minestrone on her show the other day and it really looked great – so I decided to give it a try – only using things I can get year round, because in the winter, our vegetables in Western CO are questionable, at best.
This turned out great and Maddie and Todd gave it 2 thumbs up – Aerik, who is a vegetable hater, was not amused, but he ate most of it anyway. We grated a little parmesan cheese on top and served with whole grain french bread. You could make this vegetarian by eliminating the chicken stock and using veggie stock!
Enjoy!
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Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium uncooked potato peeled & chopped
- 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can Cannelini Beans drained
- 8 cups chicken stock low-fat, low-sodium
- 1 Cup ditalini or elbow pasta
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce optional
Instructions
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In a large dutch oven heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add in onion, celery and garlic. Saute until fragrant but not brown - garlic will burn!
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Add in carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Saute for another 10-15 minutes until carrots and potato start to soften, add in beans, tomatoes, and broth and remaining spices and stir well.
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Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Let simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
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10 minutes before you're ready to serve, toss in the pasta and increase the heat a bit. Serve when pasta is Al Dente!
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Enjoy!