I always thought Minestrone soup was kind of boring, but then I added Italian sausage. And a spoonful of pesto. And topped it with parmesan. This soup is PACKED and I love it! Classic minestrone flavors, but enhanced. And tons of veggies so you feel like you're on top of your life. Did I mention you can make it in the slow cooker?
115 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
115 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1cupzucchinichopped
1cupyellow squashchopped
1/2cupdry ditalini pasta**
2cupsbaby spinach
basil pestoto garnish
grated parmesan cheeseto garnish
Instructions
In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium to medium-high heat. Drain the fat.
Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
Add the tomato paste, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and dried oregano.
Saute for about 5 minutes.
Add the can of Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until all the carrots are tender.
Add both cans of beans, the zucchini, yellow squash, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer another 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
At this point, you can add another cup or two of chicken broth, if you feel like it's not "soupy" enough.
Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. I like to roughly chop mine so it's easier to eat, but you don't have to!
Wait about 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt, and then it's ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper. (I actually didn't add any! Sign of a killer soup, right?)
Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese.
Slow cooker Instructions:
Follow the instructions through step 4. Pour everything into the slow cooker, then add the tomatoes and chicken broth.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
Stir in the beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and pasta. Cover and turn the heat to high. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
Turn off the slow cooker. Stir in the spinach and cover another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
*If you can't find Italian diced tomatoes, regular tomatoes will work fine!**sometimes called macaroni salad pasta. Any type of short pasta will work fine!
This is another gem of a recipe from my Aunt Shirley. Woman knows her way around the kitchen!