Because I’m gluten-free, dairy-free and a vegetarian, it isn’t always easy to make meals that satisfy David, who has no special dietary needs at all. One of our favorite meals, especially during cold winter months, is a big bowl of homemade minestrone soup. Chock full of colorful delicious vegetables, with a bit of pasta tossed in to taste, minestrone soup is filling and a meal in itself.
It’s easy to make and even easier to adjust to your liking. Add more of your favorite vegetable(s) or other substitutions to your liking. Follow our recipe, or use it as a guide and make it your own soup. Have fun with it and most importantly, enjoy!
Traditionally, minestrone soup has shell pasta cooked in it. We use gluten-free pasta which I’ve yet to find in the shell variety. I choose to cook the pasta separate and add it as we serve the soup. I also use fresh herbs and tie them together so it’s simple to remove when the leaves cook off into the soup.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups dry pasta – cooked al dente
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion sliced and diced
- 1 stalk celery sliced and diced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced – slice like discs and then each discs in half
- 1 large grated carrot
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic sliced and diced
- 14 ounce can Italian green beans
- 4 ounce can of tomato paste
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 30 ounce can of drained kidney beans
- 30 ounce can of drained great northern beans
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- Sprig of fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
- Sprig of fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- Small sprig of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 – 4 cups fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- In a large stock pot, sauté onion, celery for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini and carrots. Sauté another 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, green beans, tomato paste and gently stir until mixed.
- Add diced tomatoes with juice, kidney beans and great northern beans. Stir well.
- If you’re using fresh herbs tie them together.
- Add herbs and spices.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover with lid and simmer 40 minutes.
- Remove fresh herbs that are tied together and the bay leaves.
- Add fresh spinach and simmer 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with 1/2 cup cooked pasta.
- Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
- 1 1/2 cups dry pasta – cooked al dente
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion sliced and diced
- 1 stalk celery sliced and diced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced – slice like discs and then each discs in half
- 1 large grated carrot
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic sliced and diced
- 14 ounce can Italian green beans
- 4 ounce can of tomato paste
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 30 ounce can of drained kidney beans
- 30 ounce can of drained great northern beans
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- Sprig of fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
- Sprig of fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- Small sprig of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 – 4 cups fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese
- In a large stock pot, sauté onion, celery for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini and carrots. Sauté another 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, green beans, tomato paste and gently stir until mixed.
- Add diced tomatoes with juice, kidney beans and great northern beans. Stir well.
- If you’re using fresh herbs tie them together.
- Add herbs and spices.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover with lid and simmer 40 minutes.
- Remove fresh herbs that are tied together and the bay leaves.
- Add fresh spinach and simmer 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with 1/2 cup cooked pasta.
- Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.
- Traditionally, minestrone soup has shell pasta cooked in it. We use gluten-free pasta which I've yet to find in the shell variety. I choose to cook the pasta separate and add it as we serve the soup. I also use fresh herbs and tie them together so it’s simple to remove the stems when the leave cook off into the soup.
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