This hearty plant-based recipe for Italian Minestrone makes a delicious weeknight dinner. Full of healthy protein from beans and whole grain pasta and loaded with nutritious vegetables. A satisfying meal that's easy to make!
115-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1bay leaf
3ounceswhole grain pasta shellsabout 1 1/2 cups
1bunch Swiss chardor 4 cups any chopped leafy greens
Instructions
Preheat a medium pot over medium heat.
To prepare the Italian Winter Minestrone Soup: While the pot pre-heats, dice the onion, celery, and carrot. Add the diced veggies to the preheated pot. Cover and let sweat 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. The vegetables should start to turn golden brown. If they start to burn, add a splash of water and turn down the heat.
When the veggies are done sweating, add the garlic and dried herbs (basil and thyme). Cook 30 seconds, just until aromatic and the garlic starts to soften. Then, add the vegetable broth (or bouillon cube), 1 cup of water, canned tomatoes, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. The carrots should be tender and the soup be very aromatic.
After 15 minutes, bring the soup to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes (or 2-3 minutes less than the box’s cooking directions). While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chard. Strip the leaves away from the stems. Discard the stems. Roughly chop the chard leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add to the soup.
When pasta is tender, carefully taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with a warm hug.