Minestrone Soup Mix

Amarante

Wed, Jun 03 2015, 6:17 pm

workaholicmama wrote:

Would love to get the recipe!! From all those posts of yours, you sound like an amazing cook!!TIA

This is really just a guide post because you can add any vegetables you like. I have a version using potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, Savoy cabbage, regular cabbage, carrots. I generally use more veggies than the recipe calls for because it's such a good way to get veggies eaten.

You can reduce the amount of beans if you prefer and of course change to beans you prefer.

If you like more of a pronounced tomato taste, increase the amount of canned tomatoes and reduce the water.

You do need to sauté the onions and garlic and then I add dry spices and sauté them for about a minute to allow the flavors to "bloom".

If I am using baby spinach, I just add leaves to the bowls right before I serve because they really don't need to cook and they wilt sufficiently. I have found that if I cook spinach in soup it becomes too slimy if I want to use leftovers. You could probably use chopped greens - mustard, turnip, collars and they would need to be added at the beginning because they need to cook for a long period of time.

This version of the soup is parve. If you are willing to make a dairy version, you can throw in the rind of a Parmesan cheese (assuming you have a rind that you have saved Very Happy

) and, parmesan cheese sprinkled in the bowl is always a tasty addition.

Olive Garden Minestrone
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Recipe By:
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
1⁄ 2 cup diced zucchini
1⁄ 2 cup frozen cut Italian cut green beans
1⁄ 4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth (Swanson is good *note ( Do not use chicken broth!*)
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1⁄ 2 cup carrot (julienned or shredded)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄ 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄ 2 teaspoon dried basil
1⁄ 4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh Baby Spinach
1⁄ 2 cup small shell pasta

Directions:

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Saute the dried spices for about 1 minute

Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, red wine, beans, carrot, hot water and parsley.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Add spinach about a minute or two before serving

Last edited by Amarante on Wed, Jun 03 2015, 7:30 pm; edited 1 time in total