Minestrone Soup

INGREDIENTS

  1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  2. 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  3. 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

  4. 3 medium stalks celery, sliced, leaves reserved for garnish

  5. 2 tablespoons chopped garlic

  6. 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  7. 1 teaspoon dried basil

  8. 1/2 teaspoon salt

  9. 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

  10. 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste

  11. 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

  12. 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, undrained

  13. 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

  14. 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons (about 1⁄4 inch thick) 2 cups frozen green beans

  15. 1 cup gluten-free pasta orzo

  16. 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

  2. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until caramelized, about 1 minute.

  3. Stir in broth, kidney beans, tomatoes and zucchini; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, undisturbed, for 25 minutes.

  4. Stir in green beans and orzo; cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente and the green beans are thoroughly heated, about 12 minutes.

  5. Stir in vinegar. Divide the soup among 6 bowls. Top with celery leaves.

Notes ~Fun Facts

To make ahead: Cool soup to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5days, or freeze for up to 2months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating and serving.

Gluten-free orzo pasta can be found in your local grocery store, usually on the pasta aisle. It may also be known as Chickpea Orzo Gluten-Free pasta.

You may be asking yourself “how do I know if my pasta is ‘al dente’? ”
Al dente is Italian for “to the tooth”, and according to delish.com, the pasta should not be hard, but have a tiny amount of resistance when you bite it. In other words, you don’t want soft-to-mushy pasta.

You may be wondering how to cut zucchini into “half moons”. It’s as simple as slicing the zucchini in half lengthwise (along the length of the zucchini). Lay pieces flat, then slice crosswise (across the width of the zucchini). You will see the pieces look like half moons.

Recipe from: EatingWell.com
Recipe by: Liv Dansky
Recipe tested by: Craig Ruff; Reviewed by: Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp M.S., RD Recipe Modified for ESC Lenten Fast 2024 by LMurdock

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