Minestrone Soup
This easy homemade minestrone soup is hearty, cozy, and packed with vegetables, beans, and pasta in a rich tomato broth. It makes a big pot for dinner and leftovers and is perfect with crusty bread for a simple family meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 stalks celery diced small - about ¾ cup
- ½ medium onion diced small
- 3 large carrots diced small
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder about 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 31 ounces dark kidney beans drained well, 2 cans, 31-32 ounces
- 15.5 ounces cannellini beans drained well, also called white kidney beans, 15.5-16 ounces
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes in juices canned
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup frozen spinach chopped, the kind in a loose bag, not the frozen block
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven add the oil and allow it to warm over medium high heat. Place the onion, celery, carrot, garlic powder, salt and pepper in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until just softened, stirring frequently.
- Add kidney beans, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, thyme and the bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high until the soup is boiling. Then turn the heat down to medium low or adjust the temperature until the soup is simmering across the surface. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Turn the temperature back up to medium high. Add the zucchini, pasta and water. Cook for about 9-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the frozen spinach and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is defrosted.
- Remove the bay leaf! Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with parmesan cheese, fresh parsley or cracker red pepper for a kick and enjoy!
Notes
If you have the frozen spinach in a block, you'll need to defrost it and break it into chunks first, as an entire block is too much. I usually will just break off a large chunk or two as I can.
Fresh spinach can also be used, about two cups or throw in a few handfuls.
This recipe is pretty forgiving to substitutions and adjustments, feel free to adjust to your own taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 931mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 7290IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 7mg
Found on: onmykidsplate.com/minestrone-soup/