A Veggie Packed Minestrone Soup

I’m a huge believer that a big pot of minestrone soup = happiness. First of all, it’s super easy to make. All you have to do is boil everything together. Easy, huh? Second of all, when you make a big pot of minestrone soup, it usually lasts a few nights and perhaps extends to a few lunches too. Which means, you don’t have to worry about cooking those days! And lastly, a big pot of minestrone soup is healthy and full of veggies, so you always feel good about what you’re putting into your body. See? All these three things equal happiness! This hearty an delicious minestrone soup recipe is so good and packed with all sorts of vegetables. Here’s how you make it:

• 1 1/2 carton of vegetable stock
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 6 stocks of celery, chopped
• 3 large handfuls of spinach
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped (I used baby ones!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 cups of tubular pasta
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas (you don’t have to add this, but I love tossing frozen peas into almost everything!)

1. In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and toss in the chopped zucchini, carrots, celery and onion. Once the veggies are softened, add in the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock and boil.
2. In a separate pot boil the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, strain it and add it into the soup mixture.
3. Sprinkle in the parsley, oregano, garlic and mix. Throw in the canned kidney beans and frozen peas and continue to boil with a lid. Add in salt and pepper to taste and set to simmer. Enjoy.