RECIPE OF THE WEEK: MINESTRONE SOUP

OK, I know it’s still August, but don’t you think there’s a hint of fall in the air? We thought so, so we made a killer Minestrone Soup last night. With a bit of parmesan and some amazing toasty bread, it’s a whole meal in itself.

We adapted this recipe a bit from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food. We threw this together in under an hour and will have leftovers for days…ugh, so good!

• 1 can of your choice of beans (we used pinto because that’s what we had in our pantry, but cannellini or great northern beans would probably work best)
• 1/4 cup sunflower or olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped (or as much as you want – ours was a pretty hearty soup!)
• 4 stalks of  celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (or about 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 3/4 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups of water
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 8-10 oz. of your choice of small pasta (macaroni, penne, cavatappi, etc.)
• 1-2 medium zucchini
• 4-5 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups chard, coarsely chopped

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the green beans. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the zucchini, tomatoes and pasta. Cook for 15 minutes or until the pasta is ‘al dente.’ Taste for salt and adjust as necessary. Add the can of beans and chard. Cook for 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more water. Remove the bay leaf. Serve in bowls, each one garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and at least one slice of crispy bread. Enjoy!