Minestrone Soup

This is a very very easy soup and whenever I remember this soup, I remember Olive Garden. Yeah I am sure many of ur feel the same. I think we get the best minestrone soup in Olive garden...atleast from the places I have tried...:)

I was just sitting on the couch and thinking of what to make for dinner. Something light and nice and easy to digest. What better than this simple and flavourful soup, which can be made with veggies and spices that r easily available at home. This simple dinner along with bread toast was ready in just 30 minutes...:). Yumicilious.....:) So here goes the recipe. Hope u enjoy this simple soup...:)


Ingredients :

Carrots - 1/2 sliced

Onions - 1 finely chopped

Celery - 1 cup finely chopped

Diced Tomato - 1 can medium size (u can use 4-5 fresh or combine both can and fresh ones for more flavour)

Peas - 1/4 cup (optional)

Shell pasta /Elbow pasta - 1/2 cup (uncooked)

Zucchini - 1 sliced

Garlic pods - 7 finely chopped

Vegetable stock / Water - 5 cups

Garbanzo beans - 1 cup

Oregano - 4 tsp (fresh or dried)

Basil - 2 tbsp (fresh or dried)

Pepper - 2-3 tsp

salt to taste

Olive oil

Italian parsley for garnish

Method :

In a big pan add some oil and heat it well. When hot enough add the garlic and saute for few minutes. Now add the onions and saute well till the onions are transparent.

Now add the stock / water and bring to a boil. Add all the chopped vegetables and mix well. Add the spices, salt ( be careful while adding salt if ur using vegetable stock, as the stock may contain some salt in it as preservatives) and let it boil for like 10 minutes, until the veggies cook a bit. Now add the garbanzo beans and cook covered on medium flame for 25 minutes.

Now after 25 minutes stir the soup well. If u think the soup looks too thick or too chunky add some water to it. Let it boil a bit and then go ahead and mix in the pasta. Stir well and cook it covered for another 10 to 12 mins. By now u can smell the minestrone soup. I felt as if I was in Olive garden...:) Well once the pasta is cooked u soup is ready for serving...:)


Garnish with some fresh parsley leaves and serve hot with some ciabata or fresh bread...:) It makes an awesome dinner...:D specially in winters...:) Have fun

For variation: You can add more vegetables in this soup, like potatoes or corn kernels..:)

Enjoy making this awesome soup...:)