Winter Minestrone Soup
This winter minestrone soup reminds me of home, the flavors are bright and if you want to create a hearty, plant-based soup that will make a filling dinner and yield some leftovers for the next day’s lunch, here you go, this recipe is made for you. This heartwarming healthy vegan soup is a classic in the Italian cuisine. There is no set recipe for minestrone soup as you can choose to make a plant-based version or to add chorizo, cheese or crusty bread on the side. It is relatively simple and quick even if the list of ingredients is pretty long, and you can customize it by using different vegetables such as kale, spinach, cabbage... I recommend not to add any kind of oil and to use organic vegetable stocks low in sodium in order to maximize health benefits. Spring is on its way but as long as I'm wearing scarf and coat, this perfect healthy minestrone recipe will be part of my evening.
Preparation for 4 bowls - 50 minutes
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 big carrot, diced
- 1-2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 200 grams cooked drained and rinsed white beans (organic can of beans)
- 200 grams can diced tomatoes
- 150 grams whole wheat organic pasta (I used baby penne)
- 2 handfuls kale leaves, chopped
- 200 ml boiling hot organic vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- pinch of cayenne
- 4 baby handfuls of fresh leaves of coriander, chopped
- salt, pepper to taste
- In a large sauce pan, on medium heat, add 4 tablespoons of water. When it starts bubbling, add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Let cook until soft, about 7 min, stirring a few times and adding more water to prevent vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the 200 ml vegetable broth + the whole can of tomatoes and bring to a boil for 20 minutes, until the vegetables start to be cooked.
- Add zucchini, beans, pasta bay leaf, oregano, thyme, rosemary and cayenne to the soup pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 min until pastas are al dente.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste adjust seasonings.Take the pot off the stove. Stir in kale leaves torn by hand. Add a baby handful of coriander on top of the bowl & Healthy diner is ready!
