Vegan Minestrone - The Big Soup

By loneacorn

Packed with goodness and great flavor, Minestrone is a soup from Italy. Best eaten in fall or winter months, minestrone makes a perfect light and healthy meal for lunch or dinner. Although there is a huge variety of minestrone recipes as many are the minestrone cooks. But almost all minestrone recipes have three basic vegetables to start with - onion, carrot and celery. One important feature of this soup is that vegetables are to be chopped very fine so that each remains its identity and doesn't blend.

Ingredients

• 1 cup macaroni boiled
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1 or 2 cup chopped carrots, potato, celery with leaves, cabbage
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans or green beans, or any beans of your choice
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 4 cups of vegetable broth or water
• 2 tbsp herbs (optional)
• salt and pepper for taste
• grated cheese for garnishing (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

* Heat olive oil in a large pan or pot and saute chopped onions.
* When golden brown, add ginger garlic pastes followed by chopped carrots, celery, cabbage and salt according to taste.
* Saute the mixture till all the vegetables are tender.
* Add herbs, beans and tomato puree.
* Pour in the vegetable stock and macaroni after five minutes.
* Sprinkle black pepper powder according to your taste.
* Cover and cook for about half an hour .
* Season with grated cheese and serve hot in bowls.