Minestrone Soup

Soup is one of my favorite meals.  I love the delicious combination of flavors and the satisfying feeling after eating a hearty bowl of soup. Today's recipe is a rich and hearty Minestrone Soup. This soup is loaded with lots of veggies and is perfect for using up summer produce.  Carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, zucchini, and potatoes are the veggies used in this soup.  The broth is seasoned with garlic, thyme, a bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, salt,  pepper and fennel seeds.  I loved the flavor the fennel seeds gave to this soup.    Each bowl is topped with some grated Parmesan cheese.  MMM delicious:)

This soup is quick to put together and the cooking time is about 45 minutes.  Perfect for those days when you need a satisfying meal that is quick and easy.


Minestrone Soup
From  Simply Recipes  Adapted Slightly by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tab  lespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or a teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
2 cups sliced savoy cabbage
1 zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (14.5 -ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
6 cups chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great northern white beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and then add the garlic.  Cook until fragrant.
2. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds.  Add the potatoes, cabbage, zucchini,  and tomatoes to the Dutch oven.  Stir in the chicken broth.
3. Bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the Dutch oven.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add the beans and parsley to the soup.   Bring the soup to a boil and  cook for about 5 minutes.  Taste and season the soup.
5. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the soup.  Ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Pin It