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hearty minestrone

DomesticGoddess avatar
Recipe by
Cindi Marie Bauer
@DomesticGoddess
Marshfield, WI

This is one of two really delicious minestrone soups I enjoy making. While this minestrone is made without meat, it is packed with lots of flavor, an abundance of vegetables, plus I added 2 kinds of beans to the soup. My family enjoys this hearty minestrone soup, and I hope yours will too!

►
method Stove Top

Ingredients For hearty minestrone

  • 4 tablesp.
    vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 large
    cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium
    onion, diced (about a 2/3 cup)
  • 3/4 cup
    thinly sliced celery
  • 1-1/2 cups
    sliced carrots, cut extremely thin
  • 32 oz.
    reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.)
    can tomato sauce
  • 1
    (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1
    (15.5 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz.)
    can great northern beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1-1/2 cups
    chopped russet potatoes
  • 1 tsp.
    chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 tsp.
    dried oregano
  • 2 tsp.
    dried basil leaves
  • salt
    (l added a light sprinkle)
  • pepper
    (l added 6 grinds from a pepper mill)
  • 1/2 cup
    small shell pasta
  • 1 (good)
    handful of baby spinach (stems removed, rinsed & patted dry with a paper towel, and torn into small pieces)
  • garnishing
    kraft grated parmesan cheese, to garnish the soup (optional)

How To Make hearty minestrone

  • 1
    Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large stock-pot over medium to medium-low heat.
  • 2
    Add onion to the pot, and sauté the onion for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
  • 3
    Add the garlic, and sauté the garlic for 1 minute.
  • 4
    Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pot, plus the celery and carrots, and sauté the vegetables for 2 minutes.
  • 5
    Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, great northern beans, potatoes, chicken bouillon granules, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
  • 6
    Cover the pot, bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer the soup covered, for 30 minutes. (I stir the soup once or twice while it's simmering.)
  • 7
    While the soup is simmering, in a small saucepan, add water to it, plus a little bit of vegetable oil, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring water to a boil, then add the pasta.
  • 8
    Once the water comes to a second boil, which doesn't take long, cook the shells for 8 minutes; stirring the pasta frequently.
  • 9
    Once the pasta is cooked, drain pasta in a colander, and gently rinse it under cold water. Drain well, then set the pasta aside, covered, until it's time to add it to the stock-pot.
  • 10
    After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the cooked pasta and the spinach. Stir the soup, and then ladle the soup in to bowls.
  • 11
    Top each bowl of soup with a bit of the parmesan cheese, if desired.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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