Cozy Chunky Minestrone Soup
This lovely Winter soup is hearty and satisfying, and it's equally packed with veggies and flavor! Plus, who doesn't like an excuse to eat more noodles?
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt start with 1 & add to taste; I use 2
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 shallots diced into 1/4" pcs(2 medium or 3 small, approx 3/4 cup)
- 2 large carrots peeled & sliced into 1/4" thick rounds( approx 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups frozen green beans
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounce cans no salt added diced tomatoes
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil sub olive oil
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast sub 1/4 C grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon molasses sub honey
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary sub 1 teaspoon dried
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock sub veg stock
- 1 cup frozen green peas optional
- 12 ounces sweet Italian chicken sausage sliced into 1/2" rounds(sub another can beans)
- 8 ounces dried pasta of choice
- prepared pesto for serving optional
- goat cheese for serving optional
Instructions
PREP:
- Combine basil, onion powder, salt, black pepper and rosemary (IF using dried) in a small bowl. Set aside. Dice shallots, peel & slice carrots and mince garlic. Set aside (keep separate). Drain and rinse chickpeas. Open canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Set aside.
COOK:
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and carrots cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add splashes of water as necessary to prevent burning/sticking. Stir in the green beans, basil, onion powder, dried rosemary (if using dried), salt and pepper and cook, stirring, another 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, nutritional yeast or parmesan, honey, molasses, fresh rosemary (if using fresh) and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, green peas (if using), sausage and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove rosemary sprig (it’s ok if some of the leaves fall into the soup). Top soup with goat cheese and pesto, if using, and serve immediately!
- Leftovers will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator up to 5 days or frozen up to 2 months, if chicken sausage was fresh upon purchase. Allow soup to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing. Remember that liquid expands in the freezer, so leave some room in the container!
