Minestrone Soup

It's summer, and the veggies are plentiful and cheap!  Zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs are not only available at our local grocery store, but also our co-op and local roadside stands.  (They should all be producing in bushels from our garden, but that's a whole other post.)  What to do with this abundance?  One of our favorite summer meals is minestrone soup, and I have a recipe that is eerily similar to one served at a certain popular national chain Italian restaurant that employed me and Eric as servers once upon a time.  Served with a salad and some crusty breadsticks or focaccia, it can be served as a main course, or it can accompany your favorite grilled meat as a vegetable side dish.  Avere un buon pasto!

Minestrone Soup


Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini (about 1 small one), sliced and quartered
1/2  c. fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/4  c. celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, drained
2 15-oz. cans white beans, drained
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2  c. carrot, julienned or shredded
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped*
1 T. fresh oregano, chopped*
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped*
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped*
3 c. hot water
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 c. fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb. small shell pasta, cooked to al dente
*If using dried  herbs, use half the amount of each

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup or stock pot.  Sauté onion, celery, and garlic until softened and onion is translucent.  Add the green beans and zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and tomatoes, beans, carrot, herbs, and hot water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add spinach leaves and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.  Serve with a small scoop of pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  (If you put the pasta into the soup pot, it will expand until all the liquid is absorbed into the pasta, which does not make for good leftovers.  Even the Olive Garden keeps their pasta and soup separate until serving time.)