Minestrone Soup

This is my all time fav. Italian soup. Winters n soups go hand in hand and tats the reason for all the soups I m making for dinner!!

Minestrone soup is a such a healthy, dense, hearty Italian vegetable soup, which you can turn into non-veg by adding bacon, or chicken cubes etc! But I personally like it veggie! Its such a versatile soup.. you can add as many veges you want or use whatever you have on hand. One can make the base tomato sauce from scracth or for a quick version use store bought marinara/pasta sauce or tomato paste/sauce!!

Minestrone soup is basically a tomato based soup with lots of veges (peas, broccoli, mushroom, zuchini, carrot, bell pepper, potatoes etc), beans and pasta. The key ingredient I add is fresh basil leaves which gives it the edge! I didnt have many veges on hand last night neither did I have the kidney beans or gorbanzo beans to add to it. Even then it turned out so yummy we were left licking our fingers (read spoons)!!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsn chopped garlic
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 cup marinara soup (I used Hunt's Cheese n Garlic)
1 1/2 cup vegetable/chicken broth or water
Mixed veges chopped in big chinks (I used peas, broccoli, green bell pepper and carrots)
3/4 cup boiled pasta (any shape. I used whole wheat Penne)
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt n pepper

Method:

• In a hot pan, add olive oil and saute garlic, onions and celery.
• To this add the sauce and broth/water and simmer it for 15-20 mins.
  
• Add the chopped veges and pasta, salt and pepper and simmer it further for 5 mins.
  
• Add basil leaves, stir and turn the heat off.
  
• Ganish with parmesan cheese.
  
• Enjoy it as it is or with garlic bread.