Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 1 tablespoon olive or safflower oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 - 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth (start with 4 and add more, if desired, at the end)

• 16 oz. tomato sauce (I blended 1 can diced tomatoes with 2 Tbsp. tomato paste)

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1 handful kale

• 1 tablespoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1-2 grinds of pepper

• 1 cup uncooked pasta, I used elbows

• 1 medium russet potato, diced into 1/4 inch cubes

• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Optional:

• 1 Tbsp. Better Than Bullion mushroom

• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

• 1 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s Mushroom Umami seasoning

• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

In a large stew pot, make your mirepoix: sautée the onion, carrots and celery in the oil and butter for about 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and sautée for about one more minute.

Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kale, dried basil, dried oregano, and a grind or two of pepper. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add elbows, garbanzo beans and potatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes or so, until macaroni and potatoes are cooked al denté. The way I do it, I sample the potatoes and pasta as they cook, and take the soup off the heat when they reach desired tenderness.

Add the Better Than Bullion mushroom, nutritional yeast, Trader Joe’s Mushroom Umami seasoning and maple syrup at the end, to taste. I did not use salt because the umami seasoning has plenty in it.

Serve in bowls with Parmesean cheese and crusty bread.