I’ve been making different versions of Minestrone soup for years. This version brought many compliments, so I decided to share the recipe. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:
3 containers of beans. 365 Whole Foods Organic, no salt added. 13.4 oz. I used one each of red beans, cannellini beans, and garbanzo beans—drained
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 quarter sized pieces of chorizo ( I use this for flavor; you can remove it after cooking or enjoy any piece you come across)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, cut in rounds
1/2 cup tomato sauce and about 10 Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomatoes, cut in half. If you can’t find these, use 1 or 2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 small or 1/2 a large zucchini, cut in rounds
1 yellow squash, cut in rounds
8 pieces of calabaza ( or butternut squash) cut in 2” cubes
About 1/2 cup or more of green cabbage, cut into strips
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon organic chicken base or any chicken stock you prefer. If using liquid stock, reduce the amount of water in accordance with the amount of stock used. In which case you should use 8 ounces.
1 piece of Parmesan rind. I usually cut off the rind of the cheese, wrap it and freeze it for use in soups like this one
6 cups of water
1/4 to 2/3 cup any small pasta you like
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Dice and mince the onion and garlic. Cut the chorizo, celery and carrots.
Add to a large pot 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, basil, oregano, celery, carrots, chorizo, and tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent and the mixture is fragrant.
Add the drained beans, water, chicken base, and the rest of the vegetables including the fresh tomatoes. Add a piece of Parmesan rind. Cook over medium low heat for about 35-45 minutes. Add the pasta. Uncover and cook on low for 5-10 minutes longer or until the pasta is tender
Add grated Parmesan as a garnish.
Enjoy!!
On The Slab 