Elbow Mac Minestrone


Ingredients:

Prep Time: 5-10 mins |  Cook Time: 20 minutes |  Serves: 6-8

Est. calories per serving: 132-176

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup Kaslo Sourdough Elbow Macaroni
  • 6 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 tsp. Vegan Butter or Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
  • 1 cup Canned peeled tomatoes (strained)
  • 3/4 cup Canned Kidney Beans
  • 3/4 cup Canned white Navy Beans
  • 1/2 cup carrots
  • 1 cup Zucchini
  • 4 cups Fresh Spinach
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tsp. Dried Onion or ( 1/2 cup Fresh Onion)
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Garlic or ( 2 tsp. Fresh Garlic)
  • Salt & Pepper

Toppings:

  • Fresh Parsley
  • Vegan Parmesan (optional)

Other Seasonal Vegetables to try:

  • Corn
  • Leeks
  • Bell Peppers
  • Celery
  • Green Beans
  • Potatoes

 

 

Instructions:

  1. Drain and rinse canned kidney and navy beans, and wash and chop all vegetables into preferred bite-sized pieces.  Sauté carrots with butter/oil over medium heat until just soft, about 4 minutes.
  2. In a large soup or stock pot, combine all ingredients except spinach , and pour broth over.  Stir well.    *Special Note: if you prefer to use dried beans, be sure to soak overnight, or at least 4 hours before assembling your soup. Strain and rinse before adding to the soup pot.
  3. Bring soup to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium, and cover.
  4. Simmer your soup 10-15 minutes, until pasta is just tender. « If you prefer your soup to have more liquid, feel free to add additional broth by the cup at this stage until your desired consistency. »
  5. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and add spinach into the soup and cover, allowing the tender greens to wilt, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately, with finely grated parmesan and fresh parsley for topping.

Enjoy this healthy and comforting plant-based soup all winter long, by experimenting with different seasonal vegetable combos! It goes great alongside a grilled sandwich, or a protein of your choice.

 

You can also meal-batch and freeze this recipe, by cooling it completely, and storing in freezer-safe glass or plastic containers. Or, try our favorite low-waste way to store your soup – pour cooled soup right back into your resealable Kaslo Sourdough packaging! Enjoy up to 3 months later, and be sure to thaw in the fridge before reheating.