All-Season Soup

So, it’s SUPPOSED to be Spring here, but we have had a cold snap this week. People have been advised to cover their tender plants, just when they were getting excited about all the warmth and sunshine.

While it is fleeting, the cold always puts me in the mood for soup. Some people think soup is a seasonal thing, but I love it and could eat it year-round. After running errands on a cold and soggy day this past week, I was inspired to whip up some Minestrone.

I think my first experience with Minestrone was at a certain popular Italian restaurant chain that features all-you-can-eat soup, salad and breadsticks. Not to belittle said restaurant, but the recipe I am sharing with you today tastes even better and it is much healthier, as it contains fresh veggies and significantly less salt.

Typically, Minestrone is full of veggies (heavy on the tomato), herbs, beans and pasta or even rice. It is a great meal to whip up on a weeknight, as most ingredients are already in your pantry and fridge, and you can use up whatever needs to be used, like that lonely zucchini, half-eaten bag of spinach, or the weird box of pasta in the back of the cupboard. I know we all have those half-used items rattling around the kitchen.

You can easily adjust the soup to suit your diet. Add meat for more protein, or substitute the chicken broth for veggie broth and it can be vegetarian. It also freezes beautifully. Simply omit the pasta until you are ready to heat and serve.

So grab some chicken or veggie stock, some diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Dig into that fridge and see what veggies are begging to be used up. You can use any bean you like, from kidney beans to chick peas. I used Cannellini beans, which are a great choice for Italian soup.

If you choose, you can also use frozen vegetables. I used fresh carrots, celery and onion, but added frozen French cut green beans. I had some left over from another recipe and it was the perfect place to use them up.

Some torn Spinach leaves can be added at the end of your cooking time, just to wilt them slightly. I like the added green and the added nutrients, but I didn’t have any on hand this time around.

You can add dried oregano and basil, or use fresh if you have it on hand. An Italian herb blend would be lovely also. Add just a little salt and pepper and the soup comes together fairly quickly.

Add some grated Parmesan cheese to each individual bowl and serve with a nice crusty bread. It is healthy, satisfying and simply delicious.

If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week, The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, so you may want to add more broth when reheating.

Feel free to experiment and embellish until you have created just the soup for you. I would love to hear about your additions.