Magnificent Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is a thick, delicious, and filling dish. It is quick and fairly easy to make. This soup is an Italian dish that is extremely popular throughout the world today. Minestrone soup is perfect for any day or occasion, and is definitely a comfort food.

How to Prepare Minestrone Soup

Before you begin to prepare your minestrone soup you will need to gather up the following ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium-size carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
• 1 medium-size all-purpose potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium-size yellow or green summer squash (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 large can (28 ounces) crushed low-sodium tomatoes, with their juice
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces tiny shells or tubettini
• 1 can Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
• Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley

The first step you need to take in order to prepare your minestrone soup is to heat the olive oil over low heat for one minute in a large heavy kettle. After that you will need to add the onions and cook for 5 minutes or until they are soft. Next you will need to add the garlic and cook for one minute. Raise the heat to moderate and add the carrots, potato, squash, basil, oregano, and bay leaves after you have completed the previous steps. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, uncovered, and be sure to stir occasionally.
Next add the tomatoes and stock and bring it to a boil, you will need to adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently and then cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes longer. After that is done add the green beans, cover, and cook until the beans are tender but still crisp, this should take about 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaves. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender and then add the white beans and cook for 3-5 minutes more. Lastly sprinkle cheese and parsley over the top of the soup and serve. Enjoy your minestrone soup!