Minestrone Soup

Making a batch of soup at the beginning of the week is one of my favorite winter meal planning tips. Start off your week with something nourishing and have leftovers for lunches or quick dinners all week- it honestly only gets better day two and three. This soup is literally packed with vegetables and is hearty and warming during winter months. We hope you will make it!

1/4 cup olive oil.
4 oz diced pancetta
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, peeled and diced
1/2 head of cabbage, cored, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1.5 cups V8 (you can also use tomato sauce but the V8 provides great flavor!)
1 Parmesan rind
1 bay leaf
3 cups cannellini beans, drained and rinsed if you are using canned
1 medium zuchini, diced
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed if needed and cut into 1” pieces
Kosher salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grated Parmesan Cheese and / or pesto to garnish

In a heavy bottomed pan add pancetta and turn heat to medium. Sauté pancetta for about 8 minutes until it’s crisp and fat has rendered. Add olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook for 10- 15 minutes or until tender. Add red pepper flake, garlic, thyme, 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, a few grinds of fresh ground pepper and cabbage and sauté an additional 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, V8, your bay leaf and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add green beans and zucchini and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cooked cannellini beans and season with salt and pepper to taste - I added an additional 2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Remove bay leaf and garnish soup with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.