The Best Minestrone Soup!

This recipe is courtesy of the Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home Cookbook. However, as usual, I changed the original recipe quite a bit. Haha. This soup is excellent at any time of the year, but I feel like it's best in the Fall and Winter-time. It warms your bones ever so much, but you don't get that feeling of being overstuffed with the fat from a heavy soup. I am all for heavy soups, don't get me wrong, but this one is great for a healthier option. Plus, who doesn't love a classic Italian soup like this?

The Recipe:

3/4 -1 cup canned cannellini beans
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 large carrot
1 big handful of shredded cabbage (I bought pre-bagged shredded cabbage)
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup chicken broth or stock
4 cups Vegetable stock
1 14oz can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup dry ditalini or small pasta
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 medium handful fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping

The Procedure:

1. First, finely chop the onion and garlic and set aside.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large deep pot (stock pot)
3. Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, until translucent. Meanwhile, finely chop the carrot and set your handful of shredded cabbage aside.
4. Add the chicken broth/stock and vegetable stock into the pot.
5. Add the canned diced tomatoes.
6. Add the carrots, cabbage, dried basil, oregano, sugar, bay leaf and fresh (chopped)parsley
7. Cover the soup partially and simmer until the vegetables are tender-soft(25-30 mins).
8. Add the dried pasta, cannellini beans, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper (quite a lot salt).
10. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so. This will cook the pasta and allow flavors to fully infuse into the soup.
11. Ladle into bowls and top with a good hunk of grated parmesan cheese and some parsley to give it a pop of color.
12. Enjoy!