Minestrone Soup

This soup is great for all seasons.  You can easily adapt it to fit whatever veggies are on sale or growing in your garden.  It's also a great "end of the week" soup.  Throw in whatever veggies or meats you have left and stretch those leftovers!


Notes- you can use beef stock, but I like to make mine with beef bone broth for the nutrition and because it gives the soup a heartier flavor.


The Parmesan rind is completely optional but gives the soup a lovely Umami taste.  I like to store mine in the freezer until I make a soup like this.



Serves- 6-8

Ingredients-

1 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into half moons
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Italian herbs blend
1 can tomato paste
1 large can crushed, or diced tomatoes
4 cups beef bone broth
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 zucchini, chopped into half moons
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional- Parmesan rind, or grated Parmesan

​

Directions-

Brown your ground beef in a large soup pot.  Add in your onion, carrots, celery, garlic, zucchini, salt, pepper and Italian herbs.  Cook until onions turn clear (about 5-10 min) then add in your tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, broth, beans  bay leaf and Parmesan rind.  Simmer 30 minutes.  Add in your spinach and cook another 5 minutes.  Fish out your bay leaf and Parmesan rind.  Top with grated Parmesan.