Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin containing assorted vegetables, beans, pasta, and herbs in a vegetable broth.....

It is a very healthy soup....This is my family's favorite soup and great for all parties and occasions....I have made it fully vegetarian by adding vegetable broth....I serve this with some store bought garlic biscuit.....

I saute all the vegetable and simmer it in the tomato juice with vegetable broth.....And flavor it with the some herbs.....I also add Parmesan cheese for some silkiness.....To add some body to the soup I add canned beans which is the traditional ingredient in minestrone soup......One of the special feature in this soup is that the pasta is cooked in the soup and the pasta absorbs all the flavor in the soup.....

Ingredients :

Diced tomatoes - 2 (15 ounce) cans
Red kidney beans, drained - 1 can (15 ounce)
Small white beans, drained - 1 can (15 ounce)
Vegetable broth - 4 cups (recipe follows)
White onions - 1 cup minced
Zucchini - 1/2 cup chopped
Italian green beans - 1/2 cup
Celery - 1/4 cup minced
Garlic - 4 teaspoons minced
Carrots, julienned or shredded - 1/2 cup
Minced fresh parsley - 2 tablespoons
Dried oregano - 1 1/2 teaspoons
Ground black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Dried basil - 1/2 teaspoon
Dried thyme - 1/4 teaspoon
Hot water - 3 cups
Fresh baby spinach - 4 cups
Small shell pasta - 1/2 cup
Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup

Procedure :

1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

2. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

3. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency. Finally stir in the Parmesan cheese. (I go light with the cheese, more can be added when served)

Vegetable broth:
Carrots - 2
Potatoes - 1 big
Onions - 2 big
Garlic - 2 cloves
Celery - 3 stalks
Water - 10 cups
Dried thyme - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1
Whole pepper corns - 10
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon

In a large stalk pot add oil and add all the chopped (chucked into large pieces) vegetables with garlic and saute it for 5 minutes and add 10 cups of water.
Then add whole pepper corns, dried thyme, bay leaf and bring up to boil and then simmer the liquid for 30 to 45 minutes partially covered.
Then let it cool and drain the liquid and store it in the air tight container in refrigerator. It can be stored in the freezer for 2 months.