Vegetable Minestrone

I have a lot of clients that say cooking for a large group or family can be difficult and time consuming. One of my tips is to cook more than enough so you are sure to feed everyone as well as have leftovers. One of the easiest ways to do that is to utilize soups! When you make soups yourself, you control the ingredients and the amount of sodium that gets added. This one pot hearty soup is tasty, easy, and can cook in as little as 45 minutes, yet makes 15 servings!

Ingredients

2 medium onion

4 medium stalked celery, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 head of cabbage, chopped

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

5 large carrots, chopped

2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces, or frozen, thawed

4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

2 cups water

15-ounce can tomato sauce

14-ounce can diced tomatoes

2, 15-ounce can kidney or black beans, rinse

½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

15 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Add all vegetables except spinach to your pot: onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans

2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, & beans; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more.

4. Stir in basil. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Notes

- May pour over cooked brown rice, quinoa, or millet for an extra boost of energy. Especially for those recovering from workouts!

- It also tastes great adding garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and/or chili powder.

Nutrition Facts (Per serving)

Calories: 139

Carb: 28 gram

Fiber: 8.5 gram

Protein: 8.5 gram

Fat: 2 gram

Sodium: 195 mg

Good source of: calcium, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, choline and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, C, and K

Other: No added sugar, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nut free

Print the recipe here: