Minestrone Soup

SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup (60mL) olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery ribs, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced
• ¼ cup (55g) tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice (potatoes, squash, zucchini, green beans, peas)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp (2.5g) dried oregano
• 1 tsp (2.5g) dried thyme
• One 28oz (794g) can diced tomatoes with their liquids
• 4 cups (944mL) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups (472mL) water
• 2 bay leaves
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 cans (3 ½ cups [210g] cooked) cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup (100g) small shell, elbow, or ditalini pasta

STEPS:

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is see-through and vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring often, about 2 minutes.
3. Dump in can of tomatoes along with its juices, stock, and water. Add salt to taste and bay leaves then season with black pepper to taste.
4. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil. Partially cover with a lid and keep heat high enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
5. Add pasta and beans. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
6. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves before serving. Enjoy!

If making ahead, add everything but the pasta. Before serving, put soup back on the stove, add pasta, and cook until al dente! Alternatively, pasta can be made separately, cooked until al dente and drained. Then spoon it into bowls separate before or after the soup and stir in.