Veggie Love Minestrone Soup

It's still quite cold on the east coast.....so hot soup continues to be a weekly meal in our house.  Yesterday, I was craving something healthy, hearty and warm. Also, I didn't feel like making a side dish or a salad for dinner....and with this many vegetables all in one soup, I didn't have to! It is very filling. 

This soup has a lot of ingredients, but it honestly came together very quickly. I had half a jar of mild salsa in the fridge and decided to take a chance and throw it in....it was an unexpected, delicious addition! Enjoy! 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil OR water for sautéing 
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 cup of mild (not chunky) salsa, I used Late July 
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 to 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 ounce jar of tomato puree (I used a yummy jar I recently bought at our farmer's market)
• 1 Tbl sugar, optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 15- ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
• 8 oz COOKED small pasta noodles
• additional salt and ground pepper to taste

Place a large soup pot over low heat; add olive oil (or water if oil-free) and diced onions, carrots and celery. If sautéing with water keep your eye on the veggies as they cook - I always need to add more water to ensure the veggies do not burn. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. 

Add a little more olive oil or water to the pot and add the garlic, potato and zucchini. Cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, stirring often to make sure nothing burns. Add the salsa, basil, oregano, thyme, sage and salt. Stir. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and tomato puree; stir. You can alway add more broth later if you feel like you want a thinner soup. Add the sugar, if using. Finally add the kidney beans, chopped fresh spinach and chopped fresh basil. Let this come to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every so often. The soup is good to go once the potatoes are cooked through and the veggies' texture is to your liking. Taste the soup and if needed add a little more salt and some pepper. 

While the soup is simmering, cook the small pasta noodles according to the directions on the box. I like adding the pasta to each individual bowl and then ladling the soup over the noodles. This ensures the noodles stay al dente and delicious. I really don't like mushy noodles that have been sitting around in hot soup getting softer by the minute. I also store leftover soup separate from the cooked pasta noodles - again, this keeps the noodles from getting mushy. To keep your cooked noodles from sticking to each other, drizzle a little olive oil on top of the drained and cooked noodles. That'll do the trick. 

This soup is great served with a light dusting of vegan or regular Parmesan and a side of good, crusty bread. Enjoy!