Easy Italian Minestrone Soup!

This soup is a wonderful meal on a cold winters day! This is also a large batch of soup, which makes for easy leftover lunches and freezing. You can make this dish grain free or legume free to help accommodate any dietary preferences! This is also one of those soups you can play with the spices to get just the right amount of personal flavour or kick in your soup!!

Italian Minestrone Soup

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 30- 45 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of olive oil

• 1 1/2 cup of yellow onion, chopped

• 3/4 cup sliced leeks

• 1 1/2 cup carrots, chopped

• 1 cup celery, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, diced

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1 large (798g) jar of diced tomatoes ( or 2-cups of fresh Roma tomatoes, pulsed in a blender (see pro tips below for more ideas)

• 2 tbsp of tomato paste

• 2 small parsnips, peeled and diced

• 3 bay leaves, dried

• 1 tsp of herbamare , optional

• 1 tbsp of dried oregano

• 1 tbsp of dried basil

• 1 tsp of chili powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• 8 cups of vegetable broth

• 1 1/2 cup of white, cannellini beans or mixed (and/or Organic Sprouted Soft Tofu, diced)

• 1 cup of rice spiral (dry) noodle, or 1/2 cup of basmati rice

• 1 tbsp of honey

• 1 tbsp of lemon juice

• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preparation:

• Note: if using rice, add rice in after the spices; if using a noodle, while the minestrone is cooking, cook the rice noodle in a separate pot of water. Having grains is optional.

• place the olive oil in a large pot, heat and add onions, carrots, celery and leeks. Sauté till onions are soft and translucent.

• add garlic and stir for 1 minute

• add bay leaves, dried herbs and spices, stir in

• add remaining vegetables and tomatoes

• add vegetable broth and cover pot

• allow to simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes

• add beans (or tofu), lemon and allow to simmer for additional 15 minutes

• stir in 1 tbsp of honey, fresh basil leaves and remove from heat

• add rice or noodle to soup or serve in individual portions

• top with grated cheese if desired

Meal/Pro Tips:

• to make this soup grain or bean free, simply omit and/or add tofu and/or mushroom blend like shiitake and oyster.

• for enhanced flavour, roast the fresh tomatoes in oven: on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, placed tomatoes (halved) on, drizzle oil oil, sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil; add a sliced red onion for more flavour. Bake 375F for 20 minutes, process in a blender; add to soup.

BuildAMeal.BuildABetterBody Pairing Suggestion:

Anna’s Rustic Italian Salad

Prep: 15 minutes

Serving: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of radicchio, shred

• 1 bunch of romaine lettuce leaves, chopped

• 1/4 small red onion, finely sliced

• 1 cup of baby arugula leaves

• 1/4 cup of green chives, cut

• 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

• 8- 10 black olives, pitted and cut if possible

• 1 head of butter lettuce, chopped

• 6 leaves of fresh basil, roll leaves and fine chop

Preparation:

• clean, cut, chop all ingredients, place in a large salad bowl add dressing and toss.

Italian Dressing the Italian Way:

Measuring with your eyes......

• drizzle olive oil over salad

• add salt, pepper

• drizzle balsamic vinegar

• squeeze a quarter of a lemon over greens

• all to taste

• toss salad

BOUN APPETITO!!!

#soup #minestrone #salad #vegetarian