Recipe: Homemade Vegetable Minestrone Soup

I love soup, especially in the fall when the weather begins to turn. Serve me up a big bowl of comfort and cozy. This Minestrone soup is one of my favorites, and for good reason. It is easy to put together, takes little prep time and can also be made in the crock pot. Win-Win!

You will need:

• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 cup onion (small onion), chopped
• 1 cup potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• 1-15 oz can of cannellini beans
• 3 cups of spinach
• 2 cups of pasta
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini (about 2), diced 
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine EVOO, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper and potato in large pot on medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, and stir an additional minute. 
3. Mix in diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and zucchini. Bring to a boil.
4. Once it is boiled, turn the heat down to a simmer, and allow to cook for 45 minutes, covered.
5. Add cannellini beans, spinach and pasta. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

I think this is perfect and since it makes so much, you have leftovers for a couple of days. While this is vegan, it is not intentionally; the recipe just works out that way. If you would like, you can add chopped chicken breast to this at the end. However, I think it is quite filling without it.