It may be warm today, but when I made this last week it was cool, rainy and down right miserable for days here in Minnesota. So it may not be soup weather in your neck of the woods, but here in Minnesota, one never knows
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In any case, last week after another cold evening run class, this chunky minestrone hit the spot! It’s full of hearty veggies and the parmesan cheese broth is so flavorful.
Remember this recipe? I talk about how amazing soups are the next day and the next and the next. By the looks of my Instant Pot, this was enough to feed an army, but I wasn’t feeding an army….only my husband, myself and my dear mom? You know what that means…yummy left-overs! So tonight this was just the perfect meal before my long run tomorrow morning.
I love making a big pot and eating it all week for lunch or even having it for a light dinner. The thing about homemade soup is that there are no rules, you can add to it whatever you have on hand.
If you’ve been following me you all ready know I love veggies. My soups always start with a heavy dose of vegetables! Lots of variety too and not a ton of each, just handfuls of whatever you have in your fridge! I always have organic dried and canned beans on hand on my pantry shelf along with organic bone broth. If you have homemade bone broth, that’s great! I almost always have some stashed in my freezer but if not, the box will work!
If you’re like me, you may even have some meatballs stashed in your freezer? Meatballs are a good addition since they bulk up the soup and add more protein which I love. “Are you are craving pasta or do have a long run in the morning?” This is perfect the night before a long run, espeically when you add some noodles. Please don’t cook your pasta in the soup because it will turn to mush. It’s nice to serve the noodles on the side for those who do follow a low carb diet and they stay nice in the soup since all you need to do is warm them up.
I also love adding parmesan rinds to all my soups! I use them constantly. If you don’t have them hanging around in your fridge or freezer like me, I have seen them at Whole Foods and they are quite inexpensive. They add so much flavor to your soup.
I love making my own soup so please try this recipe and ditch the canned soups. You’re family will thank you
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- olive oil
- broccoli florets
- cauliflower florets, ( if i had it I would have used it)
- rainbow carrots
- leek
- onion
- asparagus becuase it’s in season
- celery
- garent yams
- brussel sprout
- cabbage or kale or any other greens of choice
- sweet potatoes
- pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 large crushed garlic cloves
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 can of cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bag of sweet beans
- a bunch of chopped parsley and some basil, or other seasoning you like
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 parmesan cheese rinds
- 2 handfuls or so of grated parmesan to toss into the broth when finished after removal of rinds, taste to your liking.
- broth or stock, enough to cover all the vegetables and then some, you want enough so that when it’s stirred it’s loose, I used organic, low sodium, chicken stock in a box.
- OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
- mini meatballs, precooked
- pasta of your choice, precooked
- Add enough Olive Oil to cover the bottom of your Instant Pot and set it to Sauté.
- Add all your veggies and stir them after each addition.
- Turn off Sauté Button. Add the rest of your ingredients except for the optional additions,
- Cover and set to soup for 25 minutes.
- Turn off and use quick release or slowly let pressure come down. Remove cheese rinds.
- Add in grated cheese and stir, tasting for desired amount.
- Ladle into your bowl and top with cooked mini meatballs and/or pasta, optional
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