I {Barb} am a self-proclaimed soup queen. It all started when I was living in Virginia after college and struggled HARD to keep warm in the winter time. It didn't seem to matter if I had the heat on and five blankets, if I wasn't sipping on tea or eating a warm meal I was perpetually freezing. Hence, my learned love of all things soup. I don't live in a cold climate any more, BUT I brought my love for soup to Florida with me, and I do not let the constant "80 degrees and sunny" weather keep me from eating my favorite food group. This was my first time making minestrone at home and it turned out SO INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS. I've loved minestrone for YEARS and it is my go-to "sick day soup" since I don't have a particular love affair with chicken noodle (don't hate me!). I know a lot of people are struggling with not feeling 100% right now and are also trying to survive off freezer and pantry ingredients so this soup is PERFECT for the current season. I'm listing the exact ingredients I used here, but please remember with all the recipes we provide you can USE WHAT YOU LIKE AND WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND as substitutes to these ingredients. I love squash and zucchini and I got them in my produce delivery box this week so that's what I used, but you can use frozen peas, corn, green beans...whatever is available to you. I also used barley instead of pasta to keep this gluten free and nutritional yeast to top it instead of Parmesan to keep it dairy free and vegan, but if those things don't concern you then you can use the more traditional ingredients this recipe would typically call for instead.
Let's get into it... Start by sauteing 1 TBS Avocado Oil 1 Medium Yellow Onion (Chopped) 1/4 Cup Diced Shallots 4 Cloves Crushed Garlic Until tender (about five minutes) Add 4 Stalks Chopped Celery 4 Medium Carrots (I used a peeler to make mine into "noodles" just for a difference in mouthfeel in the final product) 1 TBS tomato paste and a Splash of water - stir well to dissolve the tomato paste and coat the veggies evenly Season with 1 TSP Salt 1/2 TSP Pepper Couple Shakes Red Pepper Flakes 1 TSP EACH Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley Stir through vegetables Add 2 Medium Zucchini (cut into quarters and chopped) 2 Medium Yellow Squash (prepared the same way) 1 Can each Kidney and White Beans (rinsed and drained) 1 14oz Can Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes 1 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
4 cups broth of choice Bring the pot to a boil then lower it to a simmer and cover it with a lid. Cook for 35 minutes (or until all vegetables are tender). Add 2 Cups of previously cooked pearl barley. Simmer an additional five minutes and then serve hot with nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon.
You can download an "easy to print" PDF of this recipe here!
Enjoy!
- Barb
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