Meatless Fridays: Minestrone

Our series of meatless meals continues this Lent with what we served this past Friday: Minestrone. I know...another soup.

Why? Because soups easily serve a crowd.

We've been hosting a family-friendly Stations of the Cross at our house every Friday night since Lent began and have been serving a simple meatless meal ahead of time. (More on this later.) These soups have been a hit each time. There's nothing fancy or time-consuming about a menu of soup, bread and water but for a Friday meal in Lent, this soup in particular was very filling and when this recipe was doubled, it served over 30 people. (We did have some mac and cheese on hand for pickier children.)

This is my own take on an Olive Garden menu favorite.

Italian Minestrone 

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, sliced into half circles
1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 15oz can dark red kidney beans
1 15oz can white navy beans
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup dry pasta (I used Ditalini but small shells are more traditional)
water
salt and pepper to taste 

In a sauce pan, bring a quart of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and set aside. 

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onion, celery, zucchini, green beans and carrots until bright in color and slightly soft (about 5 minutes) then add garlic and saute for one more minute. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and seasoning. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add spinach and cooked pasta. If needed, add a little water to thin the soup. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.