Minestrone Soup

Prep Time: ​25 minutes

Cook Time: ​45 minutes

Serves: ​8 people

The very best minestrone ever!

A huge success with family and guests.

So much goodness in a bowl!

Ingredients

●  1 Tbsp olive oil

●  1 cup chopped white onion

●  1 Tbsp chopped garlic cloves

●  1 Tbsp ground cumin

●  2 tsp wweet smoked paprika

●  1 tsp ground coriander

●  1 bay leaf

●  1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

●  2 cups chickpeas, cooked, rinsed and drained

●  2 cups red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

●  2 cups whole peeled tomatoes, roughly-chopped with liquid

●  1⁄2 cup chopped celery sticks

●  1 cup chopped carrots

●  12 cups vegetable stock

●  1 cup uncooked small pasta shells

●  1 cup frozen or fresh peas

●  2 Tbsp lemon juice

●  1 tsp lemon zest

●  2 cups chopped spinach leaves

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, cumin, paprika, coriander, bay leaf, and thyme

2. Sauté until vegetables are soft

3. Add the undrained, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes

4. Add the chickpeas, kidney beans, peas, and pasta shells. Bring to a boil, covered, and simmer for about 10 minutes until pasta is soft, but not soggy. If necessary, add more stock as needed.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. The amount depends on whether fresh stock or instant stock is used, as instant stocks are naturally saltier.

6. When cooked, add the lemon juice, zest, and spinach

7. Once the spinach is added, serve as soon as possible

Tips

Serve with toasted sourdough drizzled with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), rubbed with garlic or pesto. Serve with extra pesto and grated pecorino on the side.

Credit

We had this soup while on Safari in Botswana at the &Beyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp. We all loved it so much that the Lodge Manager was kind enough to share the recipe with us. It has become a dinner staple with my family ever since.