I think this is the third minestrone soup reciep I’ve posted. Minestrone is probably my favorite soup and I’m always trying new recipes for it.
You can easily make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken ~ one of thie reasons why I love this soup is because is so versatile. You can adapt it to suit your needs. This particular recipe called for 2 potatoes. I’m sure they were added to helop thicken the soup but I don’t like it thick and there are already a bunch of carbs so I just left them out. It also called for cabbage but I used spinach. I liked this version with just a smidge of tomato paste instead of diced tomatoes just for a change of pace.
Minestrone Soup III
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1/s tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 cup pearl barley (I used quick cooking barley and it was fine)
3 carrots, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
2/3 cup small shell pasta
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups baby spinach
Grated Parmesan to sprinkle on top, if desired
Heat the olive oil in a soup por or Dutch oven and saute the onion, celery, garlic, and spices for about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the barley, carrots and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Stir in the beans, pasta and tomato paste. Simmer until the pasta is al dente. Add the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until the spinach is tender.
Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.
Makes 6-8 servings
Happy Cooking!
