Whats better than having a steaming bowl of homemade minestrone soup for dinner after a long day? Incredibly rich and flavorful, this minestrone soup is as hearty as it is beautiful. A minestrone is an Italian soup made with fresh vegetables, tomatoes, beans, herbs and pasta. It is made with minimal effort and the end result is a wholesome and healthy soup.

A minestrone soup is quite versatile. You can play around with different sorts of veggies, beans, broth and pasta. Usually the base for this soup remains the same with loads of tomatoes, spices and herbs. Let me take you guys through my recipe. So, i started off with chopping all the veggies I had with me such as zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and potatoes. Always opt for a huge saucepan while making this soup because there are a plenty of ingredients that will go into the pot. I sautéed some garlic and onions first and added in the veggies, herbs, tomatoes and allowed the veggies to partially cook on low heat. Then I added in the beans, spinach, corn and pasta and let the soup simmer for another half an hour. There’s just something so comforting about the smell of a big pot of healthy soup simmering on the stove!

This soup is a complete meal in itself since it has fiber and protein rich beans, nutritious veggies and carb heavy pasta. It is low in fat and calories making it a perfect choice for a weekday lunch or dinner. So make your own bowl and enjoy this cozy, warm and oh-so-delicious soup with some lightly toasted bread and feel full and content for hours.

The given recipe yields 6 – 8 bowls.

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 1 small potato, diced
• 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
• 5 oz baby spinach leaves
• 28 oz canned san marzano tomatoes, diced
• 1 can (16oz) cannelini beans
• 1 cups whole grain elbow pasta
• 4 cups (32 fl oz) vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 – 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt as per taste
• black pepper as per taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is heated add chopped garlic and onions and sauté it on medium heat for 8 – 10 minutes.
• Now add diced carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, potato, oregano, thyme, a pinch of salt and  stir it for 5 – 8 minutes.
• Next add the canned tomatoes along with their liquid, vegetable broth and water. Also add some more salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and bay leaves to it.
• Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the saucepan with the lid and let and cook for 20 – 30 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally.
• Next add the pasta, cannelini beans, corn and spinach to it and cook uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
• Once done, remove it from heat, add lemon juice and adjust the seasoning as per your taste preference.
• Divide the soup in bowls and slurp hot!

Soup variations

• You can opt for other veggies such as celery, pumpkin, green beans, bell peppers, butternut squash, mushrooms or any of your choice.
• For greens, you can go for Swiss chard or baby kale instead of spinach.
• Instead of using cannelini beans, you can use black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, peas or chickpeas.
• I have used elbow pasta, but any whole grain small pasta works great.
• If you do not wish to add pasta in your soup, then you can substitute it with brown rice or quinoa.
• Add some Parmesan cheese if you wish to make your soup richer and creamier.