Minestrone Soup

We would like to share with you a very special recipe shared with us by one of our Healthy Edge Community members.  This recipe was passed on to her from a very special woman, her mother. Thank you for sharing Diane!

Note from Diane: “When you get all the ingredients in the pot in the beginning it looks fairly watery and like it might not taste that great but by the end of the three hours of cooking it all comes together and it is so rich tasting and satisfying and warm.”   Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 medium onions, diced

2 cups cauliflower

¼ cup pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes

½lb cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 medium clove garlic, minced

¼ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp butter

3 ½ cups beef broth

1 ½ cups water

1 28oz can Italian plum tomatoes

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dried basil, crumbled

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled

1 bay leaf

1 - 1lb can Cannellini beans

Directions

1.  Heat oil and butter in 5 quart pan over medium heat.  Add onion, saute about 6 minutes.  Stir in carrots and cauliflower, saute 5 minutes.  Stir in celery and green beans, saute 5 minutes.  Stir in zucchini, saute 3 minutes.  Stir in cabbage and garlic, saute 1 minute.
2. Chop tomato coarsely.  Add broth, water and tomato juice and tomatoes.  Stir in salt, basil, rosemary, pepper and bay leaf.
3. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Simmer covered stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 hours.  Add Beans.
4. Uncover and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soup is thick, about 30 – 40 minutes longer.  Remove bay leaf before serving.