Description
I love a good soup and this delicious Minestrone Soup is one of my favorite recipes that’s incredibly underrated (in my personal opinion). I mean this soup does so much! It’s packed with veggies, beans, and whole grains (hello fiber!), and it somehow manages to be hearty while still being light. Plus, it’s really so easy to make so you can pull off making it at 5:30pm without it feeling like a whole kitchen project. Personally, I feel like this recipe was made for those of us wanting to get our veggies in but just cannot imagine eating another salad. Serve it with a generous sprinkle of parmesan and a crusty loaf of bread for the perfect bite!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 - 15oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 - 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large parmesan rind
- 8 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup small whole wheat small pasta (like elbows, ditalini, or orecchiette)
- 5 oz spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- parmesan, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and then add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot, and zucchini. Sauté the veggies for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Add the Italian seasoning, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, white beans, kidney beans, and parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil and the reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
- After simmering, uncover and add the green beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Lastly, remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves, and then stir in the spinach and fresh chopped basil. Let simmer for an additional minute until the spinach is wilted and then serve with extra parmesan cheese and fresh herbs on top!
