Hearty Minestrone Soup

This recipe is easy, filling, packed full of nutrients and delicious! It’s perfect for a chilly fall or cold winter day too :-)

Hearty Minestrone
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 quart organic vegetable stock*
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 1 can whole kidney beans
• 1/2 cup 100% whole wheat elbow (or any small) noodles
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot** on the stove to a medium high heat.
2. Give the onion a medium to fine chop and saute in the soup pot until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Press the garlic into the onions and saute another minute. Add 1/2 tbsp salt and pepper.
4. Add the vegetable stock and turn the heat to high to let it come to a boil, add the can of crushed tomatoes.
5. Peel and chop the carrot into bite size pieces while the broth comes up to a broil, add the chopped carrot and noodles.
6. Bring the broth back to medium high heat.
7. Chop the zucchini into bite size pieces and add to the soup.
8. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and add to the soup.
9. Add the bay leaf, basil, oregano and the rest of the salt (and more if needed).
10. Add about 16 oz of purified water to the soup to thin it out (the noodles absorb a lot of the stock and it becomes a little too thick.)
11. Let sit on medium low heat for at least 20 minutes, then enjoy!

 *I use Pacific brand vegetable stock and really like the taste of it. Make sure to buy low sodium stock so you can control how salty your soup it.
** I use a large enamel cast iron pot because it says warm on the stove for a few hours after I turn it off.