Description
Hearty minestrone soup brings Italian countryside comfort to your kitchen, brimming with garden-fresh vegetables and rich flavors. Nutritious ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a soul-warming meal you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Proteins and Tomatoes:
- 14 ounces (397 grams) canned diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 15 ounces (425 grams) canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Cooking and Seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) small pasta (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium temperature, gently sautéing chopped onions, carrots, and celery until they become tender and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Introduce minced garlic and diced zucchini to the pot, stirring and cooking for an additional 3 minutes to release aromatic flavors.
- Pour in canned tomatoes with their natural juices and vegetable broth, thoroughly combining all ingredients to create a rich liquid base.
- Enhance the soup with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, allowing the mixture to reach a rolling boil before reducing heat to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
- Incorporate kidney beans and pasta, continuing to simmer until the pasta reaches a perfect al dente consistency, typically around 10 minutes.
- When pasta is tender and flavors have melded, remove the pot from heat and let the soup rest briefly.
- Ladle the steaming soup into warm bowls, optionally garnishing with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an extra layer of savory depth.
Notes
- Enhance vegetable flavor by sautéing them slowly, allowing natural sugars to caramelize and develop deeper taste profiles.
- Create gluten-free version by replacing regular pasta with zucchini noodles or quinoa, maintaining soup’s hearty texture.
- Boost protein content by adding grilled chicken, tofu, or additional beans for more substantial meal option.
- Customize soup’s consistency by adjusting broth quantity – less liquid creates thicker stew-like texture, more liquid makes lighter soup.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg