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30- Minute Minestrone Soup

Enjoy this Blue Zones recipe from Italy. The Longest Living Family, the Melis family, ate this everyday.
Print Recipe
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large vidalia or yellow onion
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 cups 32 oz. vegetable broth or water
  • ¾ cup small macaroni or small shell pasta
  • 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes whole or chopped
  • 1 15- oz. can red kidney beans rinsed
  • 1 15- oz. can northern white bean or cannellini beans rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • ½ tsp each dried thyme dried oregano, and black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
  • ½-1 tsp. Salt
  • Grated parmesan cheese optional

Method
 

  1. To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
  2. Add diced onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
  3. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add the vegetable broth, macaroni, tomatoes and juice, kidney beans, white beans, bay leaf, basil, thyme, oregano, pepper, and bring to a boil.
  5. Boil gently for about 15 minutes or until macaroni is cooked through. At any time while making the soup, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and you prefer more broth, adding a cup or two of water or additional vegetable broth is okay. At the end you will adjust the salt level.
  6. Taste soup and add salt to taste. I added 1 tsp. salt. Optionally garnish with parmesan, and serve immediately.

Notes

Holds well for 4-5 days in the fridge. 
Use tomato sauce jars or mason jars for easy storage in the fridge
Add a splash of water when reheating if it gets too thick
I hope you love the recipe! Snap a picture and tag me @chefjoannas on instagram so I see how yours came out.