Winter Minestrone

Minestrone means A Big Hotchpotch Soup

Even though I am a self-proclaimed perfection freak ;-) there are times I like hotchpotch. And why not when the hotchpotch is so delish.

There is no fixed recipe to this one. Goof around. But have a bowl full at least once a week. Especially if you play rat and mouse with your veggies.

My Minestrone Version

Grab tight your veggie tray and start chopping -
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
1 cup onion
1 cup zucchini
3/4 cloves garlic
Handful Swiss chard..ahem sounds gourmet :) forget it grab spinach or kale

Now start opening those cans. Remember Go healthy go lowest sodium you can find. C'mon folks spend sometime in your grocery aisles. Good things don't come easy. -

1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 can cannelloni beans (these are white kidney beans. so if you don't have this can simple use kidney beans)
2/3 cans vegetable broth (feel free to use drinking water if you are out of stock. No biggie)
1/3 cup dried any cylindrical pasta

I said I like my food tasty. So time for some seasoning -

1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley (excellent if you have fresh in garden or your fridge)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil

Recipe

• Saute all chopped veggies in a soup pot. 
• Throw in stock/water. 
• Add in canned tomatoes, pasta and seasoning. Let it simmer on low-medium for 20-30 min. 
• Dump rinsed canned beans. Again cook for 10-15 min.
• Serve piping hot with a dash of fresh grated Parmesan, EVOO and a wonderful slice of bread.

So folks here are a tasty combo of vitamins, minerals, essential carbs and fat folded well in a Tasty Messy Soup.