Minestrone Soup

This is a great soup to make at the end of the week when you have a lot of produce to use up. Any fresh seasonal vegetables can be used in this recipe. This soup freezes well and makes for a great leftover for lunch. Serve with a crusty whole grain bun.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients
Olive oil	1 Tbsp (15 mL)
Onion, diced	1 cup (250 mL)
Carrot, diced	1 cup (250 mL)
Celery, diced	1 cup (250 mL)
Cloves of garlic, chopped	2
Fresh parsley, chopped	1/2 cup (125 mL)
Sodium reduced chicken stock	4 cups (1 L)
Water	2 cups (500 mL)
Navy beans, drained and rinsed	19 oz (540 mL)
Potato, peeled and diced	1 cup (250 mL)
Zucchini, diced	1 cup (250 mL)
Savoy cabbage, shredded	1 cup (250 mL)
Fresh plum tomatoes, diced	2 cups (500 mL)
Bay leaf	1
Dried basil	1 tsp (5 mL)
Dried oregano	1 tsp (5 mL)
Dried thyme	1 tsp (5 mL)
Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sautee without browning for about 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes.
Pour into bowls and top with parmesan cheese (if using).