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Minestrone Soup

Belinda Bartholomew
This minestrone soup is an easy, weeknight meal that is nourishing and delicious! Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for a complete meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8
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Ingredients
  

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 ribs celery chopped
  • 4 carrots sliced
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 4 cups V8 or tomato juice
  • 1 can garbanzo beans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 medium zucchini quartered and sliced
  • 1 medium yellow squash quartered and sliced
  • 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
  • 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach or chopped kale
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta
  • 3 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp. pesto
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. Better than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base or Beef Base
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Instructions:

  • Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add olive oil.
  • Add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and cabbage. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until vegetables soften.
  • Add the broth, V8 juice, canned beans, zucchini, and yellow squash. Mix well. Add the Italian seasoning, pesto, bay leaves, bouillon, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • In a separate pot, cook ditalini pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • Add the fresh baby spinach and cooked ditalini pasta. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve with parmesan cheese.

Notes

This is a very affordable soup and extremely versatile. You can mix and match any seasonal vegetables that you have available.
Don’t have pasta? You can swap in farro or barley.
If you have leftovers, the ditalini pasta will absorb the broth. Feel free to add a splash of broth or V8 when you reheat the soup.
The soup tastes even better the next day and is perfect to pack for lunch!
You can freeze individual portions that will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!