Minestrone Monday

No matter what season of the year, we love soup! I am so glad Phoenix is a soup lover like me. We enjoy many soup meals together. Today, I'm going to share my version of the minestrone soup, and hopefully it pleases your senses as much as it does ours. 

• Prep and cook time approximately an hour
• Serves a family with leftovers included

Ingredients:

1. 3 potatoes- peeled and cut into squares

2. 1 carrot- cut in half lengthwise then sliced (like half moons) 

3. 2-3 celery stalks- sliced

4. Half an onion- diced

5. Chunk of cabbage- coarsely chopped

6. 1-2 zucchini- cut like carrots but maybe not as thin

7. 2-3 garlic- grated 

8. 1- 15.5 oz. Garbanzo bean can

9. 1- 15.5 oz. Kidney bean can

10. 1- 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

11. Half a bag of organic baby spinach

12. A small bunch of fresh basil- chopped

13. 1/2 a bag of macaroni or Ditalini pasta

14. 32 fluid oz. Vegetable Broth (organic if preferred)

15. Salt to personal preference

16. Black pepper to personal preference

17. 1 teaspoon paprika powder 

18. 1 cube of vegetable bouillon or your favorite seasoning cube.

19. 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

20. Add water as needed

21. Sweet Potatoe Spirals from TJs as a topping (optional)

22. Parmesan Cheese as a topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel your potatoes and cut into squares. Once done I soak my potatoes in a bowl of water until I'm ready to put put them into the pot. Doing this helps them not to brown while you prep all your other vegetables. When you pour the potatoes into the pot include the water because it has all the potatoe nutrients.

2. Prep all your other vegetables. Honestly this is what takes the longest, the actual cooking part doesn't take that long, especially if you don't like your vegetables soggy. We don't!

3. Once everything is prepped, pour your vegetable broth into pot. Turn stove top on high and add all your vegetables. 

                     

4. Add salt and black pepper to personal preference, vegetable bouillon cube or seasoning of preference, and paprika.

5. Drain and rinse your canned garbanzo and kidney beans, and then add them to the soup.

                    

6. Add your can of diced tomatoes.

               

7. In the meanwhile boil your pasta in a separate pot. I like to do this so that pasta doesn't get all soggy, especially if you have leftovers and are storing it. Make sure to add some olive oil to your pasta once cooked so that it doesn't stick together. I usually add the pasta to each individual bowl when serving.

8. Grate your garlic into the soup. This can be added at any time. It doesn't have to be added so late in the process. 

9. Check progress. If a fork can go through a potatoe piece, then your good to turn off the stove. Keep in mind your vegetables continue to cook a bit even after you turn off the stove. 

                

10. At the point that your vegetables are cooked, add your spinach, basil, and olive oil. I keep the pot lid off at this point.

Your soup is now done! I garnished it with sweet potatoe spirals, and shaved parmesan cheese. Both are optional, and if you do use parmesan it can be shaved or grated or however you'd like.

Enjoy!