Easy Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is meant to be adapted, so feel free to make this recipe your own by using what vegetables and beans you have on hand. Adding a handful of spinach or diced potatoes is common. You can use white beans instead of kidney beans, or use a combination of both.  If you're looking for a low-carb option, feel free to omit the pasta. And if you need something meaty, add cooked  ground turkey or even leftover rotisserie chicken. You can add that early on, once you've cooked the onions, carrots, and celery.

Ingredients:

•  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (I remove the stalks)
• 1 zucchini or yellow squash, diced (also works with diced potato instead) 
• 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, if needed
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon rosemary
• 1 15- oz can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups broth, vegetable or chicken broth
• 1- inch Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dryed thyme)
• 1 (15- oz) can kidney beans
• Large handful chopped parsley
• Handful fresh basil leaves ( or 1/2 teaspoon dried and crushed basil)
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
• 2 cups cooked elbow pasta

Instructions

•  In a large Dutch oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, carrots and celery. Raise heat to medium-high and cook stirring regularly, until the veggies soften a bit (about 5 minutes or so). Add the garlic and cook another minute, tossing regularly.
• Add the zucchini or yellow squash and green beans. Season with paprika, rosemary, and a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
• Now add the crushed tomatoes, broth, fresh thyme, bay leaf and Parmesan rind (if using.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pot. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or so.
• Uncover the pot and add the kidney beans. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Finally, Stir in the parsley and fresh basil. And, if serving immediately, stir in the cooked pasta and simmer just until the pasta is warmed through; do not overcook. (See Cook's Tip #2)
• Remove the cheese rind and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve the minestrone hot with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Tips:

Pasta reminder: Cook the pasta before adding it to the soup.  Simply follow package instructions for al dente pasta. You will start with 1 cup of dry pasta, which will yield 2 cups cooked pasta.

Make-ahead tip: If you are not serving this minestrone soup immediately, do not add the cooked pasta to the pot until you are ready to serve. This will give you best results and will prevent the pasta from soaking up too much of the broth and getting too mushy.