‘Tis the season for movie marathons, Netflix binge-watching, and home-cooked comfort foods. Our minestrone soup recipe will fill your apartment with the delicious smells, while filling you with nutritious veggies. So while you cozy up under a blanket on your couch until spring, you can ease your guilt about skipping the gym. It’s a win-win!

The recipe is super flexible, so you can experiment with different ingredients (zucchini, chickpeas, quinoa, you name it). You can even add a protein like diced ham, crumbled sausage, or shredded chicken for a heartier soup.  If this is your full meal, serve it with cornbread or buttermilk biscuits on the side!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large carrot, diced
• 1 ½ cups green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 28-ounce can diced and no-salt-added tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup macaroni
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until ingredients begin to soften, about five minutes.
3. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano, and basil and salt and pepper to taste; cook for about three minutes until the beans are bright green and just tender.
4. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot.
5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the kidney beans and macaroni and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Taste and add salt if necessary.
8. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. I recommend being heavy handed here!