Homemade Minestrone Soup is a lovely fall soup that helps gardeners use up all their fresh veggies. Welcome back, soup season. Welcome back. When made with vegetable stock, it’s vegan-friendly but you would never know it.
If you’re really missing the meat, you can brown some hamburger or ground chicken and add it to the recipe. You rebel, you.
Minestrone Soup
Makes about 8 large servings.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, Italian cut
- 2 fresh carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cups zucchini, diced (no need to remove skin)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 10.75 ounce can pureed tomatoes
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 – 32-ounce containers vegetable (or chicken) broth
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 3 dried bay whole leaves (to be removed when the soup is done)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 – 15.25 ounce can kidney beans
- 8 ounces pasta, any small pasta works great (ie. bow ties, shells, penne, or rotelle)
Heat olive oil and butter in a large soup pot. Add onion, green beans, carrots, celery, zucchini, and garlic. Cook down over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.
Add tomato puree, tomato, brown sugar, broth, spinach, herbs & seasonings, and beans. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add pasta and cook at a simmer for the length of time on the pasta packaging. Ending with pasta is important as you do not want to overcook the noodles. Remove from heat and serve while hot.
Delicious served with rustic sourdough bread & butter and a tight, loving hug.
