Homemade Minestrone Soup in Under an Hour

Canned soups are convenient, but if you have an hour, take advantage of it by making a batch of soup that you can portion into tupperware and store in your freezer or fridge for meals that are just as convenient, and more healthful than readymade canned soups.

Ingredients:
32 oz. low sodium chicken broth
24oz crushed or diced tomatoes
2 zucchini
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 can cannellini beans (or your favorite beans)
1/2 c. pasta, your choice
1 lb. kale, spinach or chard
1 bunch escarole
bay leaf
olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms
1 parmesan rind for the stock, if you have it on hand.

Servings: 6-8

Dice up your carrot, celery, onion and mince your garlic. In a large pot, heat a few tbsp of olive oil and sautee the vegetables until the onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize. Season with salt. Cooking the vegetables until tender will take a few minutes, so use this time to prepare the other components of the soup. Once the vegetables are soft, the broth and tomatoes may be added.

Wash and roughly chop up the kale, spinach or chard and escarole and add to the soup. Wash and quarter mushrooms, chop up zucchini, add the cannellini beans. If you have a parmesan rind, adding it to the soup will add a richness and depth of flavor. Cover and let simmer for at least a half hour. Ten minutes before serving, add the pasta,

This soup is wonderful to make in advance as, over time, the flavors develop, intensify and meld, making it more delicious each time. It is a low fat, high fiber soup that can easily be turned into a meal by adding a fresh baguette and salad.

The wonderful thing about minestrone is that you can incorporate your favorite vegeables or whatever you have on hand. It can be infinitely tweaked. You can try adding italian sausage or another sort of protein, or eliminating meat altogether and using a vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Experiment and find what you like best.

The soup can be garnished with fresh basil, or a spoon of pesto. Try it with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a good cracked black pepper, too.

The ends of carrots, celery and stalks of kale that aren't used can be frozen into ziploc bags. Once you've accumulated enough leftover vegetable bits they can be combined, simmered and strained to make a rich, flavorful vegetable broth that will make a delicious and economical base to future soup recipes. Extra stock can be made in advance and frozen in ice cube trays, or plastic containers. No need to defrost, just throw the frozen stock straight into a pot for a quick starter to any soups.