Main Dish Minestrone Soup Recipes

Steps:

• In 4-quart nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, heat water to boiling over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, carrot, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat; simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and pasta are tender.

Steps:

• In large heavy saucepan, heat oil and butter.
• Add sausage; brown lightly.
• Add onion, garlic, celery, carrot and green pepper; cook until softened but not browned.
• Stir in parsley, basil, thyme, bay leaf and a little salt& pepper.
• Stir in tomatoes and stock.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add cabbage, beans and macaroni.
• Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.
• If too thick, dilute with water to desired consistency.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• A nice variation on this soup is to add ground beef instead of sausage, and beef stock instead of chicken stock.
• Add 3/4 cup dried lentils and 1/4 cup barley instead of macaroni and kidney beans.

Steps:

• In dutch oven, over med-hi heat, cook carrots, celery, onions , garlic and cabbage in olive oil until browned (20 min), stirring frequently.
• Add tomato with liquid, rice, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, pepper, potato, beef broth and zucchini.
• Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until veggies and rice are cooked.
• Add beans and spinach.
• Cook over medium heat until spinach is cooked and beans are heated through.
• Soup becomes thick upon standing but once heated will return to original consistency.
• Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.