Most people are familiar with minestrone soup, but if you're not, let's catch you up. This hearty soup originated in Italy and while there are many different variations of this dish, one thing is constant: lots of vegetables, beans, and pasta. It's on just about every menu of your favorite Italian restaurants and it's plenty filling. While it's similar to vegetable soup, the beans and pasta of the minestrone soup are what make it stand on its own. So, try out this tasty soup today. We're sure you won't be disappointed!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp powder)
- 1 1/3 cup onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced, fresh, or frozen
- 4 3/4 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 can (1 lb) tomatoes, cut up
- 1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans
- dash hot sauce
- 11 cups water
- 2 cups spaghetti, uncooked, broken
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan. Add garlic, onion, and celery, and sauté for about 5 minutes.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except spaghetti. Stir until ingredients are well mixed.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Add uncooked spaghetti and simmer for only 2–3 minutes.
Nutrition
Yield: 16 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
Each serving provides:
Calories: 112
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 202 mg
Total fiber: 4 g
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Potassium: 393 mg
Tips for the Best Minestrone Soup
One of the things we love most about this minestrone soup recipe — besides the fact that it's tasty — is that you can easily make it your own. While there is a heap of vegetables already in this recipe, feel free to substitute them with your favorites. For instance, add zucchini in place of green beans. Or, if you're wanting a shorter noodle substitute the spaghetti noodles with penne. The possibilities are endless!
If you really want to amp up the heartiness, add some protein such as crumbled sausage or ground beef. while it won't remain the same authentic minestrone soup, it makes the perfect filling dish Serve with a side of crusty bread to complete your meal. For another delicious soup recipe, try our spicy taco soup. Enjoy!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Wiktory/Shutterstock.com.