Soup & Veggies

Minestrone Soup

Made: January 3, 2013

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup elbow pasta
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds
Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes
Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes
Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes
Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes
Ladle into bowls and top with the Parmesan

I used black beans instead of kidney beans. The noodles sucked up a lot of the broth, so I might have to add more later on. But overall, I really enjoyed this!

(Recipe used: Food Network)