Truth be told, there are few things I love to eat more than a great bowl of warm, comforting and healthy homemade soup. I love minestrone and wanted to have a go-to version that I could make quickly and use on our meatless Mondays. If you’re more of a true carnivore, you can absolutely use chicken or beef broth in lieu of the vegetable broth that I suggest. You can also use ground turkey, or Italian sausage, instead of the meatless crumbles. Also, I recommend cannellini and kidney beans, but you can really use whatever you have on hand. For pasta, I like orzo, but mini shells, ditalini, or other small pasta works fine. You can even mix it altogether if you prefer and add 1 extra can of beans. I like to cook the pasta separately and toss it with a bit of olive oil. I store it separately as well and add only when reheating – this way to does not get overcooked. If you can find it, use whole wheat or multigrain pasta for an added fiber boost – it will also hold up better in cooking. Finally, I adore kale and love the extra fiber, iron, flavor, and vitamins that it imparts to this soup, but if you are not a fan, feel free to use spinach – fresh or frozen is fine. This is so delicious, healthy and quick, and it freezes wonderfully!
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ stalk of celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, matchstick or julienne cut
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pkg frozen Morningstar or Boca meatless crumbles
½ cup dry white wine
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
4 fresh sprigs of thyme (leaves intact)
1 rind section of Parmigiano-Reggiano *
48 oz. container of vegetable broth
1 (15 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic (including juice)
2 (15 oz.) cans of cannellini beans
1 (15 oz.) can of dark red kidney beans
1 small head of kale, thinly sliced and chopped
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup small pasta of choice, uncooked
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