A comforting bowlful of beans, pasta, and veggies overflowing in a tomato-based broth. Please pass the shredded parm and hunks of crusty bread!
Yield: 6
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oil
1/2medium yellow oniondiced; about 1 cup
2medium carrotspeeled and diced; about 1 cup
1stalkcelerydiced; about 1/2 cup
2garlic clovespeeled and minced; about 1 tablespoon
4cupslow-sodium vegetable broth
15ouncesfire-roasted diced tomatoes1 can
15ouncescooked kidney beans1 can; drained and rinsed
2Yukon gold potatoesdiced; about 2 cups [optional]
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste
1/2teaspoonkosher saltplus more to taste
1parmesan rindabout the size of a domino
1small zucchinidiced; about 1 cup
1cuppastaI prefer small-to-medium tubular pastas like ditallini, macaroni, penne, torchio, casarecce, etc.
1ouncebaby spinachlightly chopped; about 1 cup packed
1/4cupflat-leaf Italian parsleychopped
Freshly shredded parmesan cheesefor topping
Equipment
1 3.5 quart or larger stock pot
Instructions
Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, potatoes (if using), salt, and pepper. Drop in the parmesan rind. Increase heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low until the soup is at a simmer. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potato (if using) is tender.
Stir in the zucchini and pasta. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, just until the pasta is barely tender.
Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach and parsley until wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Ladle into bowls and pass with plenty of parmesan and crusty bread.