No-Noodle Winter Minestrone

Keep the winter out and the warmth in with this delicious and nutritious No-noodle Winter Minestrone soup. Canned minestrone soups often have too much salt and too little veggies. This Italian vegetable soup is thick and seasoned to perfection, so it will nourish and warm your insides on a cold day. It’s also easy to change up the recipe by adding or subtracting vegetables according to what you have on hand, including spinach and kale. Serve it alone, or with Multi-Grain Crackers or Grain-free Vegan Herb Crackers.

No-Noodle Winter Minestrone Recipe

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 small celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 leeks, thin slices
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (28 oz) can diced organic tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon: basil, oregano, thyme & rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cups cooked white beans
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute onions, with a pinch of salt, in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add celery and leeks and saute until slightly browned.
3. Add garlic and saute another two minutes.
4. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up all of the lovely browned bits with a wooden spoon.
5. Stir in tomatoes, dried herbs, bay leaf and red pepper flakes.
6. Add a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, a couple of hours is even better.
8. Ten minutes before serving, stir in white beans.