Pantry Staples – Minestrone

I’ve been cooking and baking and experimenting and blogging – and loving it, for the last 2 months. My waistline has benefited most from all of this. So time for something on the lighter side – in calories but not in taste. This is my minestrone soup recipe. Pantry staples of course and ideas for substitutions and add-ins if you wish. I learned this soup recipe when in Italy about 10 years ago. My only changes – and only because we are house bound, is the use of frozen kale instead of Swiss chard, and canned beans instead of fresh. Still minestrone – but pantry style. Make a pot of this healthy tasty soup. As always – enjoy!

Substitutions and/or add-ins:
If you have any sausage meat, form little meat balls and cook with the veggies
Diced chicken or ground meat of any kind, bacon
Any type of canned bean – red kidney, chickpeas etc will work
Fresh beans can also be used – just soak overnight and boil the next day to cook, then add to the soup. If you forget to do the overnight soak, you can also boil the dried beans on their own to cook until done – anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, then add to the soup, test at 1 hour and judge accordingly
Shredded cabbage
Fresh or frozen veggies
Rice or small pasta

1 19 oz can Cannellini beans and the liquid in the can
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 potatoes, diced same size as the carrots
2 zucchini, diced same size as the carrots
2 cups frozen chopped kale or fresh
2 l vegetable stock or water
salt – if using water, if using salted vegetable stock, taste before adding additional salt
olive oil

Add the oil to a soup pot over medium heat, when hot, add the onions and garlic – soften
Add the remainder of the vegetables and stir, cover and let the vegetables cook in their own water – about 10 minutes – stir occasionally
Add the beans and the liquid in the can and the stock – the bean liquid will add body to your soup
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked
Taste, season with salt, pepper, pepperoncini etc.
Serve on it’s own or if you wish, some crusty bread or even crackers
This is a filling soup so easy on the extra carbs – not part of the recipe, just my stomach not using it’s inner voice 🙂