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garden minestrone
Andreea Fegan, www.LittleBitesOfJoy.com

Garden Minestrone Soup

This garden minestrone soup is hearty, packed with veggies, and warming on a chilly soon-to-be-fall day. Family approved!
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Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Veggies
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1-2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 medium-sized zucchini, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 28-oz water
  • handful of your favorite greens (kale, spinach, collard greens), torn
  • optional: green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, any seasonal veggies
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste, optional
Flavorings
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • salt, chili flakes, black pepper, to taste
Fat
  • 1 tsp grapeseed oil, or a spray of oil
Proteins
  • Your choice, such as chickpeas, cannellini, bean pasta, etc.

Equipment

  • A soup pot

Method
 

First, sauté the aromatics
  1. You want to bring out the natural sweetness of the veggies first before adding in any liquid. Bring a heavy soup pot (I love enameld cast iron like this one) over high heat. Add in 1 tsp oil, if using, or a spray. Next, add in the onion, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for about a minute, then lower the heat. Let it change to a nice golden color just a little bit, but stir it often so it doesn’t burn. Add in the carrots, celery, and garlic, and saute for another 3-5 minutes until they show a little color change and get very aromatic.
Next add in the extra veggies
  1. Add in the zucchini, red pepper, tomatoes, water, and oregano, and bring to a simmer. Partially cover, and cook simmering for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are the desired texture to your taste.
Wilt the greens
  1. At the end, turn off the heat and throw in the greens to let them wilt and get vibrant green.
Protein/Grain
  1. When serving, feel free to add in your favorite protein and/or grain, if using (see options in the ingredient list above).
To finish
  1. Lastly, season with salt, pepper, and finish with chili flakes.