Lisaopolis.comA Nurse's Journey to a Healthy and Balanced Life

A couple days ago it was a cold, rainy and miserable day. Since it was so gloomy outside I thought it was the perfect day for soup. I wanted to make a soup that was new and different, something that I had not made before. I searched for some recipes online, and decided on a Minestrone Soup recipe that caught my eye. As usual I changed the recipe quite a bit to suit my tastes.

This was my first time ever making a Minestrone Soup. It turned out fabulous! It was very hearty and healthy. The only thing I would change about my soup next time I make it would be to add more water. I used approximately 3 ½  cups of water which made my soup quite thick. However my soup leftovers turned into stew or a pasta salad since almost all the liquid was absorbed by the pasta or just evaporated. They were still delicious, but not quite the soup I had planned to eat the next day for lunch.

I served my soup with some grilled cheese sandwiches, which were actually made on a waffle iron since we don’t have a grill. They were oh so yummy.

Here is my adapted recipe (from all recipes)

Minestrone Soup

2 medium carrots
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 ribs celery
4 cloves garlic
Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pot)
1 vegetable bouillon cube prepared according to package
About 1.5 cups water (or more to make the soup thinner)
1 can tomato soup with one can water
2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian stewed tomatoes
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup cooked pasta (I used bowtie)
Garlic powder (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Basil (to taste)
Parsley (to taste)
Oregano (to taste)

Prepare all vegetables (cut or dice to desired size). On medium heat place a large pot with oil. Cook the onion and garlic cloves (diced) until lightly browned. Add the carrots, cabbage, celery and cook for several minutes (at  least 10). Add the stewed Italian tomatoes, tomato soup, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cook on medium to low heat for about 20 minutes. Add the already cooked pasta, the herbs and fresh spinach, and heat thoroughly (about 5 minutes). Enjoy