Minestrone Soup

• large pot
• wooden spoon

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 c onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 t oregano, minced
• 1 t basil, minced
• ½ t rosemary, minced
• ½ t black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 c vegetable stock and/or water
• 1 c zucchini, chopped
• 2 c soaked and cooked or canned garbanzo or other beans
• 1 c dry pasta
• 2 c tomatoes, chopped
• croutons (optional)
• minced parsley (optional)
• grated or shaved parmesan (optional)

Add celery, carrot, herbs, and and stock/water, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the zucchini, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Bring the soup to a boil, add beans and pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender (7-10 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes, discard the bay leaf, garnish, and serve.

This is a very flexible recipe: experiment with the amount of stock or water to arrive at your preferred consistency, from a light soup to a thick stew. You can also try adding other ingredients like mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, and eggplant. It’s a great recipe for using up leftovers.