Easy Minestrone Soup (Minestrone comes from the Italian word Minestra which means soup!) Easy Soup Soup!
This is a very healthy, hearty soup. It can keep in the fridge for about a week, and you can freeze it.
Ingredients:
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil – I prefer Italian olive oil (EVOO or Light – up to you)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup uncooked pasta (Mezzi Rigatoni or Shells)
- 1/3 cup teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Sauté the celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender.
Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with crusty bread.
Another hearty stew/soup:
CABBAGE & BEANS
- 1 (8 ounce) package dried beans, soaked overnight (or 16 oz canned white beans, drained)
- ½ pound smoked sausage (or your favorite vegan substitute – sounds like an oxymoron to me) Pepperoni or Chorizo is good for this – set aside a few slices for garnishing
- 16 oz chicken or vegetable broth
- 5 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Directions:
In a large pot, combine the beans, sausage, broth, cabbage and butter.
Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and set a lid on top but leave a crack for steam.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the lid, add the tomatoes and; simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
And if you’re in a cheesy kind of mood:
Grilled cheese sandwiches. Here are a couple of my favorites. BTW, did you know you can substitute mayonnaise (the real stuff) instead of butter? I recently discovered that many diners use it in place of butter.
Grilled Swiss Cheese, Bacon & Tomato – I like it on Rye Bread
Make sure the bacon is cooked first.
*Slather up two slices of bread with either butter or mayo. Place slathered side down on medium heat in frying pan.
Place 2-3 slices of Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. When cheese starts to melt top with bacon and a slice of tomato. Let melt for another minute. Carefully flip one of the slices over and place on top of the other – cheese meets cheese. Yummy.
If you want a little tang:
Sourdough bread
Provolone
Cheddar
*Same routine as above substituting cheeses
Even more tang:
Your choice of bread
Monterey Jack
Jalapeno peppers – as much heat as you can stand
*Same routine as above substituting cheese and adding peppers