One of my favorite ways to add more veggies into my daily diet is through soups. This time of year, a hot bowl of soup is both comforting and nourishing and makes a great lunch or dinner.
Today's soup was a white bean and veggie minestrone that took about 25 minutes to make and I have enough leftover for a few lunches. I always cook in large quantity for this reason, but with 4 kids and a hungry husband, I'm not always guaranteed leftovers!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked (or 2 cans) white beans. I used Great Northern, but cannelinni or navy would work well too.
1 28 ounce can organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cartons chicken or vegetable broth
3 large carrots, washed and sliced into rounds
2 stalks celery, washed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 large leeks, trimmed and washed well. Cut in half rounds
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen) cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup green cabbage, chopped
1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic, onion and dried herbs. Season with salt & pepper and saute until onion begins to soften and turn clear.
Add beans, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.
Add green beans, cabbage and leeks and return to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes or until all veggies have softened.
Check seasoning and adjust to taste.
