Easy Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is one of the most perfect soups to consume on a chilly, cloudy fall day. Of course, this soups is actually perfect any other time of the year too! But as the weather cools down, days become shorter, and we start thinking about the upcoming holidays, this recipe seems to be more attractive than ever.

My version is a fully whole-food, plant-based recipe. I use only unrefined, unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients, including whole-grain pasta and brown rice. I also add a lot of fresh vegetables, so that when consuming this soup, you might be able to get at least a full serving of vegetables. With the added beans, which provide good quality proteins, and complex carbohydrates, this minestrone soup can actually be considered a "complete" meal.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

½ cups of water or vegetable broth

1 small potato with skin, cubed

⅓ cup dry whole wheat pasta

1 cup of cup cooked brown rice

1 small can (4 oz) of tomato sauce

4 to 6 cups of water

½ tablespoon dry parsley (or ¼ cup fresh parsley)

½ teaspoon dry basil (or ¼ cup fresh basil) ½ teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon marjoram

2 cups of cooked kidney or cannellini beans (or 1-15 oz can)

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoon vegetarian chicken-style seasoning (or substitute water with vegetable broth)

½ teaspoon of salt or salt to taste

Instructions:

Stir fry onion, garlic, carrots, celery and herbs in a pot with either water or vegetable broth until onions are translucent. Add more water (as much as necessary) or vegetable broth, pasta and potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. When it starts boiling again, lower heat and simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes. Add fresh parsley at the end if you desire. Test for taste and add salt if needed.

You can get more simple and delicious whole-food plant-based recipes in my cookbook!

ENJOY!!