Vegetable Minestrone

Submitted by ladybug810

"This is my sister's recipe, but I have to share it because it's so good! A great vegetarian recipe that's healthy too. The recipe would be vegan if you use eggless pasta and omit the Parmesan cheese."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 18
• Yields: quarts
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 2 medium red potatoes, chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 5 -6 ounces frozen chopped spinach
• 1⁄4 cup orzo pasta or 1/4 cup other small shell pasta
• 2 -4 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• grated parmesan cheese

directions

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add carrots and potatoes and stir for a few minutes.
3. Add broth, spices, and sugar, and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender.
4. Add tomatoes, beans, spinach, pasta, water, salt and pepper. Continue simmering until everything is warm and pasta is cooked.
5. Dissolve cornstarch in a little cold water, add to the soup, and bring to a boil.
6. Once the soup is boiling, remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.

Reviews

[lola_h]

Great soup for a rainy day. Didn't change anything.

 

[995647]

I was VERY Pleased with this recipe. It has great presentation and taste. I added celery and fresh spinach rather than frozen spinach.

 

[PaulaG]

This made a very nice soup, loaded with vegetables. I followed Cilantro in Canada and left off the extra water. There was no need for the cornstarch and I did reduce the amount of sugar by about half. Made for *PAC Spring 2008*

 

[Cilantro in Canada]

This is an easy, healthy soup with lots of flavour. I left out the bay leaf and oil(cooked in broth instead). I prefer my soup on the thick side so I added a handful of rice and left out the extra water. Thanks for the recipe.