Classic Minestrone Soup

Classic Minestrone Soup

from cookieandkate.com
Soup
298 kcal / serving

Warm up with this vegetarian minestrone soup! This classic minestrone soup recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes incredible. It's vegan, too, if you don't top it with cheese. Recipe yields 6 bowls or 8 cups of soup.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 mediumyellow onion, chopped
  • 2 mediumcarrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 mediumribs celery, chopped
  • ¼ cuptomato paste
  • 2 cupschopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
  • 4 clovesgarlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ teaspoondried oregano
  • ½ teaspoondried thyme
  • 1 largecan (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
  • 4 cupsvegetable broth
  • 2 cupswater
  • 1 teaspoonfine sea salt
  • 2bay leaves
  • red pepper flakes
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cupwhole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
  • 1 cangreat northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
  • 2 cupsbaby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
  • 2 teaspoonslemon juice
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)

Directions

  1. 1

    Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.

  4. 4

    Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.

  5. 5

    Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.

  6. 6

    Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.