Italian Minestrone Soup: A classic Italian soup made with vegetables like carrots, celery, and zucchini, and flavored with garlic, tomato paste, and herbs like basil and thyme.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup small pasta (such as ditalini or macaroni)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, and green beans and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the kidney beans and pasta and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped parsley.
6. Discard the bay leaf and ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Italian Minestrone Soup is a delicious and hearty vegetable soup that’s perfect for a comforting meal. Made with a variety of fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, zucchini, and green beans, this soup is both healthy and flavorful. The soup is flavored with a combination of dried herbs like basil and thyme, giving it a traditional Italian taste. Adding in kidney beans and small pasta, like ditalini or macaroni, makes it even more filling and satisfying. Top the soup with some grated Parmesan cheese for an extra burst of flavor.