Springy Minestrone
I know soup seems like a strange menu addition when the weather starts warming up, but there are so many beautiful vegetables coming in season that I tend to buy more than we can eat in a week. Soups are the perfect vehicle for the forgotten produce languishing in the back of the drawer. Minestrone is an endlessly adaptable recipe that I tend to recreate throughout the seasons based on what we have on hand. This one uses the new green veggies that pop up one after another. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread and your dinner is complete. The best part? This magical soup is even better as leftovers!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
a handful of chopped parsley
a bit of fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons salt and a bit of fresh pepper
2 zucchini, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
a handful of spinach, chopped finely
14 ounce jar of crushed tomatoes
1 can of cannellini beans
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, shredded or 2 uncooked chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
about 6-8 cups of bone broth
1/2 cup freshly grated
parmesan and more for topping
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Toss the onion and garlic in and stir every few minutes until they are soft and fragrant. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and stir again. Put the rest of the ingredients besides the parmesan in the pot and place the lid on. Simmer for about 1-2 hours, until the veggies are soft. If you are using raw chicken breasts remove them from the pot after 45 minutes and chop or shred them and add them back to the pot. Before serving, stir the parmesan into the soup and taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with more parmesan. Enjoy!
