Easy Minestrone Soup
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And now as soon as it turns 70 degrees I will share with you some soup.
Because up until right this moment I was hoarding it all for myself.
I loooooooove soup. And I know I have mentioned it before, but no one else in my house loves soup. Also there are no restaurants in this forsaken town that serve {edible} soup. Once I tried it at this place called The Crock Pot and we will never speak of that again. Sooooo unless I make my own and then eat soup for days I am basically out of luck.
Good thing this soup is awesome enough to want to eat everyday. Ohhh yes it is.
I've been on this weird Olive Garden copycat kick lately which is weird because it's not someplace I really frequent. I think I have not been in about 3 years. But everyone in the universe loves their bottomless soup, salad, and bread sticks. Yes. That is not an over-exaggeration. Everyone. So I made the soup and then cheated with the bread sticks. I bought them at Aldi, buttered 'em, and sprinkled them with a little grated Parmesan. Totally good and they scratched my bread stick itch (ew).
You could get really crazy and turn out this Classic Crusty Herbed Loaf - ready in just an hour!
Or you could just get down with this fully loaded vegetarian bowl of goodness and a stack of magazines. Stars! They eat soup just like us!
No they don't.
Okay. So let's talk about minestrone. Zucchini. 3 kinds of beans. Onions. Tomatoes. All the herbs. Little bits of pasta. Garlic. So much nutrition that I think I may have existed solely on minestrone soup when I had my first apartment at 18 and the restaurant I worked for let us have free soup after our shifts. You remember days like that, right? Right.
Let's do this.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 small zucchini, halved and sliced into thin half-moons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 once can Italian green beans, drained
- about 20 ounces vegetable broth (more as needed)
- 1 cup small pasta (I used small shells but ditalini is also a favorite)
- 1½ cups fresh spinach, torn
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper (and bread!) for serving
- In a large stock pot heat the oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium high heat until they begin to soften -- 2-3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Stir and cook for about a minute.
- Add the bay leaves and tomatoes. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the 3 kinds of beans and the broth.
- Let the liquid come to a boil. Add the pasta and let it cook to al dente. Reduce the heat and toss in the fresh spinach. Let it cook until it just begins to wilt but is still bright green.
- Serve the soup HOT! topped with the grated Parmesan, pepper and bread for dipping.
Oh Wow, This looks amazing. I have just found your Blog and am loving every page.
I suffer the same fate as you with no-one liking soup 'xcepting me. Winter is coming here in South Africa and a Soup like this would be most comforting. Thank you
Thank you so much! And you know... I've decided that no one else liking soup is a good thing. More for me!!
LOL, Brilliant point. More for me too.. Thank you
I love Olive Garden's soup and salad! And minestrone is one of my favorite soups because you can make so many varieties of it throughout the year. Yours looks deeeelicious!! I adore soup, so I'm ok eating it when it's 70 degrees out. Of course it's only 21 degrees in CT right now so I'm longing for even something over 32 degrees.
PS, I think my comments might be going to your spam. 🙁
well this comment didn't! I hope they aren't going to spam! I like soup all year round too. Thanks Tina!
Minestrone soup, I have to try this recipes...
Yes! Delicious, healthy, and so easy!
Oh yum, Heather! I love a great soup because we can eat on it for days! Must definitely give this a try. Enjoy the weather! 🙂
Thank you Chelsea!!
Soup that is quick and tasty is not only good for the soul but is also my saving grace during crazy busy weeks. Love meals like this that come together quickly!
Yes! Quick meals are such lifesavers! Thanks Anna!
I love soup too! And it is going to be 70 degrees here today and guess what's on the menu? Yep soup. We totally think alike! I love this soup Heather, all those veggies! Yum!
It's still chilly around here but I could always go for a bowl of soup - especially one that looks this tasty! Love how much veggies are packed in this minestrone soup - it looks incredible Heather! Pinning 🙂
Never too hot for delicious minestrone soup like this 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
This is a good recipe for all the snow days we are having.---Rachel
Perfect for snow days! Thanks Rachel!!
Ok, yum! It can be 80 outside {oh wait it is} and I still love soup. Never gets old. Love all the veggies packed into this and would totally drink it with the blue moon that you have in the background of the pics. 🙂 Pinned and can't wait to try this Heather!
Thanks Krista! And yes -- soup and beer. So perfect lol.
Whatever the weather, this soup sounds amazing!!!
Your pictures are beautiful! And this soup looks amazing. Just like Olive Garden.