Recipe: Minestrone Soup

I love walking into an Italian restaurant and smelling homemade minestrone wafting from the kitchen. It's a wonderful and hearty vegetable soup, that goes great with red wine.

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion

• 6 celery stalks

• 1 zucchini

• 3 carrots

• 1 sweet potato

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1 can white beans

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 6 cups low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)

• 1/2 lemon

• 2 tbsp basil pesto

• 4 cups baby spinach (or baby kale)

• Parmesan cheese

• Crusty French bread, for serving

• Optional ingredient: macaroni

Instructions

1. Dice the yellow onion, celery, zucchini, peeled carrots, and peeled sweet potato. Keep separate.

2. Drain and rinse 1 can white beans.

3. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

4. Once the butter melts, add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté until softened (about 3 minutes.) Try not to let the onions brown.

5. Add the carrots and celery and cook until bright color (about 3 to 5 minutes.)

6. Add the sweet potato and sauté until slightly softened (about 3 minutes.)

7. Stir in the zucchini and minced garlic, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

8. Add 1 can diced tomatoes and their juices

9. Add 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, and the rinsed beans.

10. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

11. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots and sweet potato are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

12. If using macaroni, add 1 cup of dry pasta here so that it has at least 10 minutes to cook.

13. Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon).

14. Stir in 2 tablespoons basil pesto and 4 cups baby spinach or baby kale and simmer until combined and the greens wilt.

15. Taste and season with salt as needed.

16. Ladle the soup into bowls. Thinly shave Parmesan cheese and drizzle serve with crunch French bread.