Recipe Of The Week Garden Minestrone

If you’re looking for a healthy and easy to prepare meal to feed your family this week, we’ve got you covered. This veggie-filled minestrone soup from Myrecipes.com can be whipped up easily, and if you’re not able to use fresh vegetables, canned or frozen can work too. You can also substitute with any vegetables you do have on hand. Here’s how it’s done.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsps oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups chopped yellow squash
• 3 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 4 cups chopped tomato
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked pasta (macaroni, diatlini, or whatever you have on hand)
• 1 can beans (Great Northern beans work well)
• 1 package baby spinach
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Grated asiago cheese and black pepper optional

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.

Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.