Marvelous Minestrone

Cheese. Basil. Sneaked in vegetables?! Yep, I'm in! My family LOVES Italian food. Hold on, let me just emphasize. L O V E S. Well... at least I do! My family was trying to come up with a warm, comforting, healthy, and delicious soup for winter! Alas, we realized that this HAS to be served all year! I mean- there's not really a choice anymore! Minestrone is this delicious, flavorful soup that has ingredients we all love! And if you don't like it, minestrone will be sure to change that by absorbing all the flavors into the vegetables! I had never actually ever heard of minestrone before, so when my parents created this recipe. I. Was. Blown. Away. They have actually made this a couple of times and tried new ways, because it can be made in lots of different ways! We finally settled on this recipe and have been using it since. Minestrone is an Italian dish that dates all the way back from 2nd century BC when the Roman Republic conquered Italy. This economic growth allowed for new vegetables in the market. It was known as a “peasant food” so there are many different ways to make it! It often consists of a variety of vegetables. Such as pasta, tomatoes, onions, celery (which we changed to leeks) and carrots! We made this recipe with an Instant Pot, but it can also be made stovetop! Have I hooked you in enough? Andiamo! :)

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 Large yellow or red onion
• 2 Leeks
• 3 Carrots
• 5-6 Leaves of fresh basil
• 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried fennel
• 8 Cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans
• 1 15oz can dark red kidney beans
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Summer Squash
• Parmesan rind
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Cup pasta of your choice. We used elbow macaroni, also recommend orzo
• 1 Large bunch of kale
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

Toppings (optional)

• Grated parmesan
• Fresh basil

Prepare your leeks! It is important to thoroughly wash them, this is because dirt can sometimes get trapped in them while growing! I will leek some information on the method we used... Cut the ends off, both ends! Then cut down the middle and slice it across! Wash and soak the pieces under some water, drain and set aside. I really hope that this recipe will make you leek your lips! :)

Let's kale-brate! Prepare your kale! First, rip it down the sides off the stem. I know, it may feel diaboli-kale! But don't worry, you're kale-in it! Wait- I mean, not literally just uh... You get the point! :) Make sure you wash the kale really well, then rip into bite size pieces/chunks.

Chop up the summer squash, zucchini, and carrots into chunks. Do this by cutting lengthwise into three then in half in chunks. Slice the mushrooms. Dice the onion. And finally, mince the garlic. I wouldn't recommend gar-licking it! The cutting boards and bowls must be getting full! Not mushroom at all... hopefully you're able to squash all the ingredients onto it though! If you're reading these puns while cutting the onion, surely they'll make you cry.

Yes, if you ask... I have bean practicing my puns ALL day! Honestly I am just bean-g funny though! Its what human beans do! Dump all of your beans (Garbanzo/Chickpeas, Kidney, and Cannellini) into a colander and wash. Cut off about 4 inches of a parmesan rind. Pour the pasta into a cup for later. May I have your parmesan to go to the next step?

Wash your fresh basil leaves! Get your dried fennel and oregano ready. You know... I herb that you like puns.

In an Instant Pot, turn it to the high sauté setting! First add the olive oil to heat up. Add the onion, garlic, leeks, and carrots. Cook until onion is translucent and its all tender. Put in the basil, oregano, and fennel and cook until fragrant. (If you're not using an Instant Pot, simmer on stove until tender!)

Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, bean mixture, zucchini, summer squash, parmesan rind, mushrooms, and bay leaf. Stir it all together.

Set the pressure to high and the timer for six minutes. When the timer goes off, quick release the pressure and do a victory dance.

If your Instant Pot seems full, transfer to a larger stockpot on the stove. (Optional!) Bring your soup to a boil and add your pasta. Simmer until the pasta is al dente (around 6 minutes). Then, stir in kale until wilted, this won't take long! About two minutes. Also add in the red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Ecco qui! You can remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf.

Grate some parmesan, cut up some basil and sprinkle some red wine vinegar on your soup to your content! This is optional, but it makes the soup look EVEN MORE delicious (if that's even possible!) and tasty! :)

Yay!!!! Eat your soup and serve to friends and family as it was made with love! Thank you for looking at this recipe! It is also fun to make with family, that's what we did! (Well....... I can't say I helped that much......) It is a warming, filling, flavorful dish that will surely bring a smile to your face and an "Mmmmm!" to your mouth! Thank you again and have a great day! (Also don't forget your victory dance!)