I love soup, it is my go-to meal all the time, summer or winter. Growing up in a Polish household, we had soup year-round, every day before dinner. There are so many delicious polish soups, my favorite being the sour ones – so yummy. I shall save those for another day.
Nowadays, when cooking meals at home I especially enjoy hearty soups. Soups that are rich and creamy, leave you feeling pleasantly full, satisfied, healthy and they are my favorite. I’d like to share with you a quick and easy recipe for minestrone soup, perfect for lunch and as a starter for dinner (or even dinner itself).
I usually make a big batch of bone broth at some point during the week. Separating it into jars and storing it in the fridge allows me to make a fantastic different soup every few days and watch Friends reruns while I cook! Below is the recipe it is super easy to make and works great as a hearty vegan soup!
Minestrone Soup has amazing health benefits. The rich in seasoned vegetables bring to this soup a great assortment of secondary metabolites with antioxidant benefits, as well as reducing oxidative damage and protecting and strengthening bones, liver, the kidneys, and bloodstream.
This soup is a great source of protein, fiber and iron making it a great soup for boosting energy, stabilizing blood sugar and providing cardiovascular protection. It is also a high source of Molybdenum an essential mineral that is beneficial for breaking down amino acids in the body as well as strengthening tooth enamel.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 cups broth vegetable/ bone
- 7-8 vine tomatoes chopped roughly, skins on
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup dried of red lentils left to soak
- 1 cup dried black beans cooked separately until soft
- 1/2 large zucchini diced
- 1-2 carrots sliced
- 1 cup Small Pasta such as Grattata or Quadrucci (optional)
- Himalayan salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- Parsley garnish/optional
Instructions
- Place lentils and black beans to soak in hot water for an hour. Drain and cook the black beans in a separate pot with a bit of salt added to the water until tender. Set the lentils aside.
- In a large pot pour the broth and add chopped tomatoes and garlic. Cook on medium until tender enough to puree.
- Once pureed add in carrots, celery, zucchini and red lentils. Cook on medium to medium-high heat, until soup, comes to a gentle boil, after which return to medium heat and leave pot covered.
- Taste the soup at this point and gently add in salt and pepper. You want to flavour the vegetables and lentils you have just added yet not overly salt the soup.
- Once the vegetables and lentils are soft add in the noodles. Let them cook for 10 – 12 minutes before adding in the cooked black beans (washed off with water). Once black beans are added turn off the stove. Taste the soup once more and if need be add a bit more salt and pepper.
- Serve with parsley.
Nutrition
