Minestrone Soup
Always on my Sunday to-do list during the fall and winter months is to make a giant batch of soup that will last through the week
Then I am set with lunch and/or dinner no matter how hectic things inevitably get.
Why not start the week with leftovers?
Once the weather starts to turn warmer and more fruits and veggies are in season those cozy comforting bowls of soup will morph into hearty salads.
They require assembly first thing in the morning, so those salads taste fresh for work lunches at my desk.
What I love about big salads and what I miss about soup is texture.
So often soup is just veggie puree in a bowl, which I do love, but there are days when I want variety.
I am looking for more bite and lots of different flavors.
Minestrone soup is kind of everything I like about salad, but in soup form.
There are so many different veggie elements.
Minestrone Soup: The Ingredients
I start by sautéing onions and then adding diced carrots and celery.
Once they start to turn soft, I add minced garlic and green beans followed by canned crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth and dried rosemary and oregano.
As the soup simmers, it has the most wonderful smell.
Pasta and kale go in during the simmering just before the soup is ready.
I like small to medium pasta shapes. Anything like shells are great because they scoop up the vegetables and herby tomato broth.
If you’re planning to save the soup and have leftovers, I recommend cooking the amount of pasta that you need each time you warm up the soup.
Tomato-based soups are one of the big reasons why I keep a spot in my pantry just for canned tomatoes.
From crushed to diced to whole, they are perfect to use for soups like:
PrintMinestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup trimmed green beans, 1/2-inch long
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-15 ounce can kidney beans
1 cup shredded kale
1 cup small pasta
Fresh chives for serving
Shaved Parmesan for serving
Instructions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery until they start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and green beans and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the soup thickens slightly. Add the pasta and kale and continue simmering until the pasta is al dente.
Garnish with chives and Parmesan before serving.
Notes
If you are planning to have leftovers, just cook as much pasta as you need per serving. When you reheat the soup, cook more pasta. Then you won’t end up with soggy noodles.
If the soup seems thick when you reheat leftovers, just add water to thin it out.
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