Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is the soup version of cleaning out the pantry and the crisper drawer: beans, vegetables, tomatoes, and a handful of pasta, all simmered into something genuinely hearty. It’s filling enough to be dinner on its own.

This version leans on canned beans and tomatoes so it’s mostly a matter of chopping and simmering. Treat the recipe as a template, swap in zucchini, green beans, kale, or whatever needs using up, and finish each bowl with grated parmesan and a hunk of bread.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 15 oz canned cannellini beans, drained
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, both beans, oregano, and basil.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
5. Add the pasta and simmer 8–10 minutes, until tender.
6. Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve, topped with grated parmesan if you like.

Equipment

• Large soup pot
• Cutting board
• Wooden spoon