Healthy & Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe

healthy & hearty minestrone soup

This steaming, vegetable-packed Minestrone Soup transports us straight to Italy. The rich-tasting broth, loaded with vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, spinach, to name a few), fresh herbs and finished with a pesto drizzle, makes this easy and satisfying Minestrone Soup Recipe numero uno in our bowls!

serves: 8-10

ingredients

Minestrone Soup

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 5 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 (28oz/796ml) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large zucchini, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked seashell pasta

Pesto Drizzle

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat and sauté garlic and onion for 4-5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, sautéing for an additional 5 minutes.


2. Add broth, diced tomatoes (with liquid) and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn to low and add red wine, spinach, kidney beans, zucchini, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.


3. Add cooked pasta and simmer for 2-3 minutes to combine flavors.


4. For the pesto sauce, place basil leaves and garlic in a food processor and process until leaves are finely chopped. Add pine nuts and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add cheese and salt, processing until combined. With the machine running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the oil is incorporated.
   

   This sauce yields 1/3 cup and, if you're not using it immediately, store it covered in the refrigerator to prevent the sauce from turning brown.



5. Drizzle 1 tsp of pesto sauce over each bowl of soup

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“Holy minestrone!”

— sally field as 'gidget'

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