Minestrone Soup

Note* You can use canned beans or you can cook dry beans.

If starting with dry beans, soak about 3/4 cup of dry beans overnight in cold water (or pour boiling water over the beans and soak for 1 hour). Drain. Cover with a couple inches of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, or until tender enough to eat. Then drain and use in this recipe as directed.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped carrot
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 cups sliced savoy or curly cabbage
1 zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 medium fresh ripe tomatoes (romas if available), cored, peeled, chopped
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great northern white beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Method
Sauté the vegetables:
Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, fennel seeds. Add the potato, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes. Add the chicken stock.

Simmer the soup:
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.

Finish the soup:
Add the beans and parsley to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS
(PER SERVING)
385 CALORIES
14g FAT
52g CARBS
16g PROTEIN

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