Minestrone Soup Can Be A Meal

As you may have noticed, the Washington Post Wednesday Food Section is the source of many of my recipes. I’m sort of addicted to reading recipes and trying new ones, even though I currently possess more than I could possibly make in a lifetime. I only share with you the ones I really like – so here’s the latest from the Nourish column by Ellie Krieger last month.

This is essentially the recipe as it was published, but I increased the carrots and added corn. You can of course add other vegetables that you have on hand – especially the ones left over from last night’s dinner. As with many foods, the flavor is even better over the next few days. With so many veggies relative to the broth, it is very filling. Since there are only two of us at home now, there was enough to have it several nights either as a main dish or appetizer. I also froze several portions to use another time. 

Make Ahead: The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Servings: 6 servings; makes 11 1/2 to 12 cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced (1/2 cup)
2 large carrots, scrubbed well, then diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
28 ounces canned, no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
48 ounces (6 cups) no-salt-added vegetable broth
15 ounces canned, no-salt-added small red beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounces corn, drained
1/2 cup dried, whole-grain elbow pasta
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or nutritional yeast, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, carrot and bell pepper; cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
2. Add the zucchini, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, then add the beans and pasta.
4. Uncover; increase the heat to medium-high just long enough to return the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pasta and vegetables are tender.
5. Divide among individual bowls; garnish each portion with the cheese.