Soup to warm your soul: Minestrone

Since most of the holiday parties are over, my body was craving some thing with…..umm…….vegetables.

….and fiber.

I did make a 15 bean soup with a ham hock and all, but I forgot to take a picture of it. Oops! I guess we’ll have to repeat that one soon.

But anyway, this minestrone was a homerun! I can’t believe how much flavor this soup has- and its packed full of nutritious food that tastes amazing in this simple meal.

This is yet another strange dinner where I completely expected Joslyn and Jude to eat nothing but crackers. But they both surprised us and ate a ton! Even today Joslyn was asking when we are going to have zucchini again. (She is kind of a weird child though….)

Don’t you just love this Toy Story spoon?

I went back and bought the plate, bowl and cup that match. “A stranger…..from the outside…..Woooahhh”

…..lol. Okay where was I?

Minestrone Soup

Heat up a large dutch oven on medium-high. Give the pan a couple rounds of olive oil. (3 T. maybe?)

Add to the pot:
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
A couple pinches of salt

After the onions and carrots are mostly cooked, add in 2 T. minced garlic. Next add:

1 zucchini, diced
1 (29oz.) can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 can white beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can green beans
1/2 c. small pasta (I used alphabet pasta. You could also use elbow or small shells)

Tip: I drain and rinse all the beans in a colander. I can’t handle the goupy juice in the can. It cuts down on the sodium too. Also, I could only find whole tomatoes, so I just take a pair of clean kitchen scissors and cut em up in the can before dumping it all in.

Fill up the bean cans with water and pour it in too. You may need a little more later, but I like it thick and chunky.

Now add:
3 T. chicken bouillon granules
1-2 T. Italian seasoning. (to taste)
a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Taste it and add more salt and some fresh black pepper if needed. Also, if you don’t have Italian seasoning, just add a mix of parsley, oregano and basil. Add a bay leaf if you’ve got one.

Bring everything up to a boil. Then crack the lid, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with saltine crackers or grilled cheese sandwiches. This is comfort food for me- Warm and inviting. Its not high in calories either so you can have seconds, or thirds if you are like me!

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