Minestrone Soup

Hello sad looking zucchini, I think I will use in a soup tonight.

Well, at first I didn't know what I wanted to do with this sad zucchini but after perusing other veggies and herbs in my fridge, I knew it was time to make my first soup of the fall season.  Yes, soup means it's fall and I love making any type of soup.  I love hunkering down, getting cozy with my food during the fall/winter months and soup really is the perfect means for that. So, here is my recipe for Minestrone Soup.  Enjoy!

The Ingredients: Serves 4-5

1 1/2 Cups Zucchini, sliced
3/4 Cup Carrots, thinly sliced
1 Cup Celery, thinly sliced
1 Cup Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Teaspoon Fresh Garlic (2-3 small cloves finely minced)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil + 2 tablespoons for garnish, chopped
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Cannellini Beans (aka White Kidney Beans)
2 Cups Cooked Pasta (I liked to use smaller pastas such as Ditalini, Farfalline, or Conchiglie [aka Shells]
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Finely Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese + 2-3 tablespoons for garnish
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
                                                                                                                       Sea Salt (1 Tsp) + Fresh Ground Pepper (1/4 Tsp) + more to taste

The Steps:

1) Begin by cooking pasta according to the directions.  Set aside once pasta is al dente.

2) While the pasta is cooking, begin cutting all the veggies.  Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a stock pan then add the onions first.  Allow the onions to soften for a 3-4 minutes.  Then add in remaining veggies, garlic, herbs (only use 1 tablespoon of basil), salt and pepper.  Continue to cook over medium heat for another 3 minutes approximately.

3) Next add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and water.  Simmer soup for at least 60 minutes for all flavors to combine.  I like mine to cook for 90-120 minutes.

4) Add beans the last 20 minutes of cooking.

5) Add in the 1 cup of cheese and pasta the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Stir to combine.

6) Serve in bowls and add extra cheese and basil for garnish.