Life in the Slow Lane: Minestrone soup
Author: Nymala Ingasy
It's about that time of year again here in the Northern Hemisphere. It's getting cool and you begin contemplating the idea of making some soup. Here's a good one that is healthy, delicious, and doesn't take much effort. You can use Swiss chard or baby kale instead of spinach if you wish and you can omit the pasta if you don't want the carbs – honestly you won't miss it with everything else in this soup. This recipe is courtesy of skinnytaste.com. Enjoy!!
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
32 oz container reduced sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh black pepper
1 medium 8 oz zucchini, diced
2 cups chopped fresh (or frozen defrosted) spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini or elbows (al dente)
extra parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to the crock pot along with the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.
