Hearty Minestrone Soup Recipe

I'm excited to share this tasty Minestrone soup recipe! This is one of my favorite winter time meals and is very easy to make. The great thing about this soup is that you can pretty much add whatever veggies you want. I used the basic ingredients for Minestrone soup, but you could also add french green beans, corn, cabbage or whatever you happen to have in your fridge.  

        Ingredients:

 

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15oz can white beans
• 1 15oz can kidney beans
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. red chili pepper (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped 
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1.5 cups shell pasta, cooked al dente (I use organic quinoa pasta)
• parmesan cheese, garnish

In a pot, combine broth, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, beans, wine, herbs, salt and pepper. Let soup cook for 30-40 minutes before adding remaining ingredients. Add zucchini and spinach and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cooked pasta 10 minutes before serving. Remove rosemary sprig, bay leaves and add salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili Crockpot Recipe (repost)

My family loves this delicious vegetarian chili recipe! It's packed with beans and lentils for some healthy protein. For those that are not a huge fan of veggies, I lightly sauté them before adding them to the chili. This makes them a bit softer in texture and diminished in size - blending in perfectly with the chili. This recipe is easy to make and perfect for those busy days when you need a meal that can be prepared ahead of time. 

Ingredients: (makes about 6-7 servings)                                                            

- 1 small onion, finely chopped                                                                 

- 3 celery stalks, finely chopped

- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 red bell pepper, diced

- 2 15oz cans kidney beans

- 2 15oz cans Cannellini (white) beans

- 1 15oz can black beans

- 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes

- 1 15oz can tomato sauce

- 1/4 cup red wine

- 1 cup vegetable broth (or more depending on how thick you like it)

- 2 Tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)

- 1 Tbsp oregano

- 1 Tbsp dried parsley

- 1 Tbsp dried basil

- 3 bay leaves

- 1 Tsp paprika

- 1 Tsp ground coriander 

- 1 Tsp ground cumin

- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

- salt to taste (optional - I add a bit of salt as I use a low sodium vegetable broth)

- diced avocado, garnish

- shredded cheddar cheese, garnish

In a non-stick pan, add a bit of butter or oil to sauté chopped onions and celery for a couple minutes on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and peppers and continue to sauté, stirring, until soft for about 3 minutes.

In a crockpot, add veggie mixture and combine remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Garnish chili with diced avocados and shredded cheddar cheese. This chili goes great with homemade cornbread muffins. Enjoy!

Do you cook with a crockpot? If so, what's your favorite meal to prepare?