Not going to lie. I’m feeling inspired to be in the kitchen.
I spent the month of September living in an apartment with limited cooking utensils (at least by my standards) and with a goal of keeping the amount of ingredients on hand to a bare minimum. I had absolutely no desire to pack up a kitchen at the end of the month.
Although we did our fair share of eating out, I did make a point of planning meals and trying new recipes. (Some good; some not so good.)
At any rate, this minestrone soup came about when we were close to the end of our stay and I felt desperate to use up some of the ingredients I had on hand. I figured it was easier to eat them than move them.
This turned out to be a winner—husband approved even! (He can be kind of picky and set in his ways when it comes to trying new things.) It was delicious the first time I threw it together, and got even better after tweaking the recipe here and there.
Minestrone Soup
Serves a lot.
4 small cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 c. onions (diced)
2 c. carrots (sliced)
2 c. green beans (cut into 1 1/2″ pieces)
1 c. mushrooms (roughly chopped)
2 small zucchini (cut into 1/2″ coins and halved)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 can white beans (rinsed and drained…I’ve used both cannellini beans and northern)
8 c. vegetable broth
3 c. baby potatoes (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
1 t. basil
a couple of handfuls of spinach or kale
salt to taste
Sauté garlic and onions in just enough water to prevent sticking. Once onions are translucent, add carrots and green beans. Stir and cook until crisp tender. Add zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and broth. Stir. Add seasonings and bring to a gentle boil and add potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft. Just before serving, throw in the spinach. Add salt to taste
I can’t wait to try it! I always love your recipes!!! 🙂
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Well?! Did you try it yet? Always looking for feedback.
Hope you are doing well, Chris. I think of you each and every day.
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That does look good! I especially like the part about dunking the bread and “butter” into the soup. This would be great on a cold morning for breakfast!
Hope you are getting settled in your new home. I saw your last post and was amazed at the forest which appears to come right up to your property. Beautiful and so different from where we live.
Take care and thank you for the recipe!
Libby
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Hey Libby! I hadn’t thought about eating it for breakfast, but now I can’t get that out of my head! And thank you, I am feeling more settled. It is so different from where we are from as well. I am use to being in a very flat valley with lots of farm fields. It truly is beautiful down here. Love the feel of our backyard…so secluded and private. Thank you so much for the comment, Libby. I truly appreciate the interaction. Let me know if you try the recipe and if you make any tweaks!
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Karen,
I wanted to tell you that I used your recipe tonight as a kind of springboard for making a similar soup. I didn’t have exactly everything but still wanted something like what you had made. So, I did some substitutions! I used garbanzo beans, carrots, potatoes, celery and peas and corn. I added some nutritional yeast and some tomato paste (plus a little sugar to balance that out). I used the same spices and added some rosemary because I was feeling fancy! It came out great. I just really needed a simple soup tonight so thank you! I was at a loss for what to make and your recipe was just the ticket.
Hope all is well.
Thanks,
Libby
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