HEARTY MINESTRONE

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Hearty Minestrone image

This is one of two really delicious minestrone soups I enjoy making. While this minestrone is made without meat, it is packed with lots of flavor, an abundance of vegetables, plus I added 2 kinds of beans to the soup. My family enjoys this hearty minestrone soup, and I hope yours will too!

Provided by Cindi M Bauer

Categories     Other Soups

Number Of Ingredients 19

4 tablesp. vegetable oil, divided
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced (about a 2/3 cup)
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots, cut extremely thin
32 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15.5 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans, drained & rinsed
1-1/2 cups chopped russet potatoes
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
salt (l added a light sprinkle)
pepper (l added 6 grinds from a pepper mill)
1/2 cup small shell pasta
1 (good) handful of baby spinach (stems removed, rinsed & patted dry with a paper towel, and torn into small pieces)
garnishing kraft grated parmesan cheese, to garnish the soup (optional)

Steps:

  • 1. Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large stock-pot over medium to medium-low heat.
  • 2. Add onion to the pot, and sauté the onion for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
  • 3. Add the garlic, and sauté the garlic for 1 minute.
  • 4. Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pot, plus the celery and carrots, and sauté the vegetables for 2 minutes.
  • 5. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, great northern beans, potatoes, chicken bouillon granules, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
  • 6. Cover the pot, bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer the soup covered, for 30 minutes. (I stir the soup once or twice while it's simmering.)
  • 7. While the soup is simmering, in a small saucepan, add water to it, plus a little bit of vegetable oil, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring water to a boil, then add the pasta.
  • 8. Once the water comes to a second boil, which doesn't take long, cook the shells for 8 minutes; stirring the pasta frequently.
  • 9. Once the pasta is cooked, drain pasta in a colander, and gently rinse it under cold water. Drain well, then set the pasta aside, covered, until it's time to add it to the stock-pot.
  • 10. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, add the cooked pasta and the spinach. Stir the soup, and then ladle the soup in to bowls.
  • 11. Top each bowl of soup with a bit of the parmesan cheese, if desired.

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