End of Summer Minestrone Soup

A trip to the farmers' market this weekend prompted this version of minestrone soup . . . a soup I rarely make the same way twice as it always depends on what vegetables and herbs I have on hand. We really liked this one, however, so thought I'd share.

Minestrone Soup
Minestrone is my kids favorite soup . . . probably because of the pasta. Like most soups, the flavor is even better the second day.

 Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced rosemary, preferable fresh but dried okay
2 carrots, cut into half moons (or quarters if carrots are very fat)
2 cups green bean (1-inch slices)
1 fairly large zucchini or summer squash, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned with juice)
2 cups chopped kale or other dark leafy green
1 quart vegetable broth or stock
2 cups water
2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can cooked kidney beans
 2 cups cooked pasta
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pot and place over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir 10 minutes, until softened. Add the basil, rosemary, carrots, green beans, squash, tomatoes, kale, soup stock, and water. Cover, place heat on high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add remaining ingredients and cook a few more minutes until heated through. Stir in parsley.

Serves 8

Note: If I’m not serving immediately, I actually like to keep the pasta separate so it doesn’t get mushy and then add it just before serving. (A trick from my restaurant days.) That’s also why I used cooked pasta rather than adding raw pasta to the soup and cooking it in there . . . but you certainly can add a 3/4 cup of uncooked pasta and an extra cup of water with the vegetables to save a step.