Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe
by Meghan Morrissey
‘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:
- Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until ingredients begin to soften, about five minutes.
- 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.
- Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the kidney beans and macaroni and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. I recommend being heavy handed here!