Minestrone Soup

Say hello to this beautiful Minestrone Soup! My family loves this stuff! This is such a hearty, healthy and delicious meal (which is sometimes hard to find, right?!). 

Last night my family ate this soup with our favorite Braided Swiss Sunday Bread is was a great side for this delicious dish! Also, one more thing before I leave you, this soup is really diverse, you can put almost any vegetable you want in it (we added sweet potato this time). So have fun and don't stress! Kloveyoubye.

Minestrone Soup
6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
5 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2- 2 teaspoons salt
1 stalk celery, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon oregano
Black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil
3-4 cups liquid, chicken broth or water
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can tomato puree (around 2 cups)
1 can tomato paste
1-1 1/2 cup cooked beans (pea beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans)
1/2 to 1 cup dry pasta (any shape)
1-2 medium sized ripe tomatoes diced (optional)
Parmesan cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1) Heat oil, onions, garlic, and salt. Saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.
2) Add celery and carrots. Let cook and then add zucchini and bell pepper. Add oregano, pepper, and basil.
3) Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) Add broth (or water) and tomato puree and paste. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add beans and simmer 5 more minutes.
5) Bring to a gentle boil. Add pasta, stir and cook until tender.
6) Stir in diced fresh tomatoes.
7) Serve hot. Top with parmesan cheese.
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