Nutritious minestrone~

MINESTRONE

    I’ve adapted this from Italian, a cookbook published by Barnes &Noble in 2003. This one, along with Best-Ever Slow Cooking and Chicken, also published by B & N,  and I’m set for cookbooks.

Ingredients:

6 cups of stock or water. I use vegetable stock
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1 bay leaf
¼ dried thyme (or 1 fresh sprig)
salt and pepper to taste
2 zucchini, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 30 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained
fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese

1.     In large pot, heat olive oil and add onion and leek. Cook for 5 minutes
2.     Add carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
3.     Add potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
4.     Add hot stock, herbs and salt and pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
5.     Stir in zucchini and tomato; cover and boil for 5 minutes
6.     Ten minutes before serving, stir in beans and basil leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
7.      Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

The recipe calls for 3T pesto sauce, which I don’t have, so add fresh basil leaves.

It also calls for peas and three tomatoes, not one. Clearly you can throw in any veggies you like and have available.

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