Easy Healthy Minestrone Soup Recipe

Winter is here. And what better time to enjoy a warm bowl of soup. So from NaturalTherapyPages.com.au, we offer a warm bowl (or maybe multiple bowls, it's just that delicious!) minestrone soup to warm your heart this cold, winter Friday. 

What is minestrone soup?

Minestrone soup is a highly nutritional and delicious recipe.  It is great in the colder winter months as a healthy meal in itself!  This recipe is a vegetarian recipe, but meat can be added if need be.

Minestrone soup is bursting with healthy vegetables and therefore important vitamins and minerals.  The high bean content coupled with the vegetables renders this soup high in fibre.  Fibre is the indigestible parts of plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes. It is type of a carbohydrate that helps keep your digestive systems healthy. There are three different types of fibre which all have different functions and health benefits.  These being soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and resistance starch. It is also a perfect meal if you are suffering from colds and flu.

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• salt, pepper
• 400g can cannellini beans
• 3 carrots
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 3 sticks celery
• 3 vegetable stock cubes
• 5 cups water
• 250g potatoes
• 45g butter
• 2 zucchinis
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 90g green beans
• 250g cabbage

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onions; peel and dice potatoes and carrots; chop celery; dice zucchini; chop beans and shred cabbage.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot. Add the onions and cook gently for a good ten minutes until the onion is soft and golden brown.
3. Add the carrots and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and the celery and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.  
4. Add the zucchini, beans and cabbage and cook in the same manner.
5. Pour in the water, the stock cubes and the chopped tomatoes. Stir well. Bring to the boil and reduce heat.
6. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the soup is thick and smooth in flavour. Ten minutes before the soup is cooked, add the can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve and enjoy.

For more soup recipes, check out our recipe section.