A Great Minestrone Soup

I suspect that every Italian cook has their own version of this soup. I read the recipe recently on the Washington Post newsletter Voraciously for this version, but, of course, made a few changes myself.  Below the recipe in the newsletter there are variation, too.

To start with, I didn't have celery or carrots but I had the rest, so forged ahead. I used the chicken broth for the liquid and used gemelli pasta since that's what I had (I was making this at night once I saw the recipe...because I had the time and was inspired by the full flavors and the description). Instead of red beans, I used cannellini beans, because I like their velvety texture in a soup. I put the finished soup in the fridge to mellow overnight because my experience is that anything with onion is better the next day. It's a delicious version of this classic soup.

I'm giving you the recipe as it was in the Washington Post Newsletter. You get to make your own changes!!

Family Favorite Minestrone

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Servings: 6
Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, diced (1/2 cup)
• 1 large yellow onion (10 ounces), diced
• 1 large carrot (4.5 ounces), scrubbed well, then diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper (5 ounces), seeded and diced
• 1 medium zucchini (8 ounces), diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added small red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried, whole-grain or regular elbow pasta
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Steps

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the celery, onion, carrot and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

2. Add the zucchini, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the flavors meld a bit, about 10 minutes.

3. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beans and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the pasta and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Divide among individual bowls, garnish each portion with the cheese and serve.