Best 2 Contest Winning Easy Minestrone Recipes

EASY MINESTRONE

Easy Minestrone image

I wanted a soup recipe that I could make with staples that I always have on hand. This has become a family favorite so I always make enough to freeze. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Provided by Luhoney

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Vegetable Soup Recipes Minestrone

Time 1h20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped, or more to taste
2 onions, chopped
5 carrots, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
½ cup red wine
1 (16 ounce) package frozen green beans
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup seashell pasta, or more to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Steps:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in carrots until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes into onion mixture; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add red wine, reduce heat to low, and stir green beans, pinto beans, spinach, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook seashell pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and stir pasta into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 215.9 calories, Carbohydrate 29.3 g, Cholesterol 2.2 mg, Fat 6.6 g, Fiber 7.4 g, Protein 7.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 388.1 mg, Sugar 8.9 g

CONTEST-WINNING EASY MINESTRONE

Contest-Winning Easy Minestrone image

This minestrone soup recipe is special to me because it's one of the few dinners my entire family loves. And I can feel good about serving it because it's full of nutrition and low in fat. -Lauren Brennan, Hood River, Oregon

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner Lunch

Time 1h5m

Yield 11 servings (2-3/4 quarts).

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 large carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
11 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 180 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 4mg cholesterol, Sodium 443mg sodium, Carbohydrate 29g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 8g protein. Diabetic Exchanges