Minestrone Soup | The Nutritionist Reviews

Minestrone Soup is loaded with
carrots, celery, pasta, kidney beans, zucchini, green beans and more and topped
with shredded parmesan cheese for a nutrient-packed comforting soup!

I’ve
always enjoyed ordering minestrone soup at an Italian restaurant but never made
it myself until now. I wanted my minestrone to be packed with lots of veggies
and nutrients. I made a huge pot of it so that my family could take it for
lunches and so I could freeze some for another date. This minestrone is quick,
easy and most importantly, delicious!

When
I think of minestrone soup, I think of kidney beans. We love kidney beans in
soup! They are loaded with fiber and protein. I love using canned beans in
recipes because they are so easy to keep a bunch of cans on hand of in my
pantry, are affordable and my family is obsessed with them. We definitely eat
beans more often than we cook with meat. It’s just easy and we love it!

The
possibilities are endless for including beans in your diet. Eating canned beans
also makes it easy to eat more plants. The USDA classifies beans as a subgroup
of the vegetable group and they can also be considered part of the protein
group- I love that they count for both. I just love that you can stock them in
your pantry easily for super quick meals. 

I
loaded my minestrone soup with canned kidney beans, carrots, celery, zucchini,
garlic, onions, green beans, tomatoes and spinach for a veggie packed soup. I
happened to have the fresh green beans on hand but frozen would work just as
well. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is chopping up the veggies. I
put them in individual bowls to make dumping them into my soup really easy but
you certainly don’t have to do that.

With
it being January, I know that lots of people are wanting to eat healthier and
this soup is a great option. It would be perfect for lunch or part of your
dinner. A great way to add in extra veggies to your diet along with fiber. The
heavy sprinkle of quality shredded parmesan cheese takes this minestrone to the
next level. It also freezes well to enjoy at a later date on a busy night.

Yield: serves at least 10 Author: Amanda HernandezPrint Recipe

Minestrone Soup is loaded with carrots, celery, pasta, kidney beans, zucchini, green beans and more and topped with shredded parmesan cheese for a nutrient-packed comforting soup!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Total time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound box ditalini pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 4 cups zucchini, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 cups green beans,
  s trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2-32 ounce containers low-sodium chicken stock
• 2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cans low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 cups baby spinach, loosely chopped
• Shredded parmesan cheese to top

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boil a pot of water and cook ditalini pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion, zucchini, carrots and celery for about 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.

3. Add in the garlic and green beans and cook for a few minutes more.

4. Add in the chicken stock, tomatoes, beans, basil, pepper and Italian seasoning and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add in the pasta, turn off the heat. Add in the spinach and stir well.

5. When serving, top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

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This post is sponsored by Bush Brothers. All opinions are my own.