FOODIE FRIDAY -- M is for MINETRONE

It's spring--at least according to the calender. The weather, however, is still stuck at STORMY. And in my house, the best remedy for stormy weather is SOUP!! Nothing like a pot of old-fashioned, made from scratch soup to warm and comfort you from the inside out! One of our favorites is a fresh take on MINESTRONE. Here is the definition of MINESTRONE from one of my favorite web sources: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Glossary/M.htmminestrone (mih-nest-ROE-nay) - Means "big soup." It is a thick vegetable soup that generally contains pasta. Pretty broad. In our house, the MINESTRONE is usually vegan, unless we add a touch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top. It varies each time I make it, but here is a good basic recipe: Ingredients: * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 1 medium onion, chopped * 2 stalks celery, diced * 2 carrots, peeled and diced * 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed * 1 medium zucchini squash, sliced * ½ teaspoon dried oregano and/or basil * 1 pinch hot pepper flakes (optional) * 1 bay leaf * 2 tsp branches of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried * 1 LG can CRUSHED tomatoes * 1 can white (cannelliini), garbanzo OR kidney beans, drained and rinsed * 1c. frozen green beans * ½ bunch kale or ½ head of cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces * 2 cups cooked small whole wheat pasta (optional) * Sea salt and freshly ground pepper * To serve: * Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Preparation: Warm olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add squash, oregano, hot pepper, bay leaf and thyme, and cook 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans of choice, 6 cups of water and two generous pinches of sea salt; bring to a boil, and cover. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add green beans and kale, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in pasta. Discard thyme branches (if fresh was used) and bay leaf, adjust seasoning and serve, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if desired. Serves 4-6

glasbake soup mugs from jenzee09 on etsy