Minestrone soup

Soup might not be something you think about too much in the middle of summer, but I love it any time of year. Not only is soup delicious, but its a fabulous way to feed your family both an inexpensive and healthy meal. This version of minestrone is a lighter stock based soup rather than the tomato based that you may be used to. I prefer the lighter broth version for summer, the tomato based type tends to be heavier and more chili like, in this Witches' opinion.

All of the veggies in this soup, except the zucchini and the can of beans, came from the farmers market. The zucchini came from my garden, the can of beans came from the store. There's no real method or reason behind the vegetation I used in this soup,, nothing screams MINESTRONE!; I simply used what was available from the market and garden and relied on oregano and thyme to flavor the base. There's just something about the way the heady scent of oregano perfumes the broth and weaves the flavors of the veggies together. Potatoes might not be traditional to minestrone, but I had them, and enjoy them more in soup than pasta. Pasta tends to get too swollen and over cooked while the baby gold potatoes stay firm yet creamy.

When topped with the pungent flavor of Asiago or Parmesan cheese its pure heaven in a bowl. Add a bit of homemade bread for dipping and dinner's on. Summertime is the perfect time for a bowl of goodness, especially when its as delicious as this minestrone is. Enjoy!

Minestrone soup
makes 8 large servings
3 tomatoes, peeled and diced (2.5 cups)
2 carrots diced
1 onion diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bell pepper diced
1 zucchini diced
1 can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), drained & rinsed
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 c white wine
4 sprigs each thyme and oregano
1 T olive oil
kosher salt and pepper



Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, put in an ice bath immediately to stop cooking and loosen skins. Peel skins and dice tomatoes. Reserve.

Dice all veggies, drain & rinse the beans. Bundle the herbs together & tie together for easy removal.

Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, once hot sautee the carrots, onions and bell pepper, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, stirring often, and cook another 5 minutes or until the raw sharp garlic smell cooks out and it starts to take on a nice toasty aroma.

Add the chicken stock, stirring up any veg that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper along with the herb bundle and remaining veggies and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the herb bundle before serving. Taste for season adding more salt & pepper if needed. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese and bread.


Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 113.7
Total Fat 3.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 1,474.2 mg
Potassium 497.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.7 g
Dietary Fiber 4.1 g
Sugars 1.7 g
Protein 5.2 g