Everyday Food Challenge: I love love love SOUP!

Friday, September 17, 2010

I love love love SOUP!

I have to say that one of my FAVORITE things to cook is soup! I think I like it so much because I can throw a bunch of food into one big pot and it always ends up tasting delicious, even if I may have left out or added an ingredient or two. Who wouldn't love that? Now sometimes soups can be a bit time consuming, with all the chopping and stirring and such, but this one really isn't bad. I promise, and have I lied to you yet? Well I hope not at least! This is such an awesome fall/winter meal and it makes a TON of leftover so you can enjoy it for many nights. You can store the soup in the freezer before adding the beans and noodles and then take it out when you don't feel like cooking. When I was testing the flavor of this soup I decided it was a little watery for my liking so I did add about 3/4-1 cup of marinara sauce, which I think really helped. Also because we love a little kick around here, I added about 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, always a favorite. ENJOY!

Minestrone

1 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise

1 carrot, sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise

1/4 head of cabbage, shredded

1 T fresh rosemary or 1tsp dried

1 can diced tomatoes in juice (14.5oz)

S&P

1 can (19oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 oz (or more if desired) elbow macaroni

grated parmesan, for garnish

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, leek, carrot, and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, 3-4 min. Stir in zucchini, cabbage, and rosemary; cook, stirring until veggies are coated, 1-2 min. Add tomatoes with their juice and enough water (about 6 cups) to cover vegetables by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Season with S&P. Cook until veggies are tender and soup is thickened, about 10 min.