Minestrone- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and 0 Points on Weight Watchers!

Busy Mama Recipes




There is no "set" recipe for minestrone.  It originates in Italy, and is commonly made with vegetables, stock, and beans.  I was taught that authentic minestrone is made with bean stock, but also that the recipe varies widely in Italy depending on the region and the vegetables in season.


One of my friends told me that every time she makes minestrone it tastes so "blah".  The great thing about most soup is you can add almost anything to them without ruining them.  Hopefully you all will think this recipe is far from "blah".. ;-)


I think one of the things that really makes soups amazing is homemade stock.  If your stock tastes like water, even the most delicious recipes can be boring.  I will post a recipe later for stock... it is very simple and hands-off.  I made the following recipe, so it's vegetarian (although not vegan because I put parmesan in it, and there were eggshells in the stock).  If you want to add meat, just saute it in the same pan, and when it's done, add the remaining ingredients in the same order and follow the recipe as usual.


Another good tip is to use fresh herbs.  You can buy those little combo packs at the grocery store.  They are usually named "beef medley" or "poultry medley".  In this recipe I used parsley, basil, and oregano.  You can of course, use dried herbs or a different combination of herbs.  Use whatever you like best.


INGREDIENTS


2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach cut into ribbons
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 large tomato, diced 
1 small potato, diced
8 cups stock, depending on how chunky/ thin you want your soup.  I used vegetable stock, but you can use any kind of stock you have.
1 small box pasta (I actually used tortellini the other day and it was delicious.  Usually I use shells or macaroni)
1/2 cup wine- red or white, make sure it's dry and not sweet
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice


In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, saute the vegetables and garlic.  If using meat, saute the meat in the oil until it's done, then add the veggies. Deglaze the pot with the wine.  Add the tomatoes and beans.


When everything is hot, add the stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and let simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and add the lemon juice.  Add the spinach at the end.


At this point you can either add the pasta to the soup or do what I do: boil it separately the serve the soup over the pasta.  I do this because usually we don't eat all the soup on one sitting, so we end up with leftovers.  If the pasts sits in the soup, it will get soggy.  If you are going to eat all the soup in one sitting, there's no use in dirtying another pot.


I garnished this soup with shaved Parmesan cheese and served it with garlic bread.  

*** This soup is a clean-out-your-fridge soup.  You can add whatever veggies you want- fresh, frozen, or canned.  Corn, pees, green beans, etc would all be great additions.

By the way, use more veggies and omit the pasta, potatoes, and beans, and this recipe is: 

 ZERO POINTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS!!!