Minestrone with Kale

Ingredients

0 of 21 out on the counter

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (about 7 oz), peeled and chopped
• 3 medium carrots (about 6 oz), peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium zucchini (about 7 oz), diced
• 2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can (28 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juice
• 6 cups water
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 can (15 oz) no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup small dry pasta, such as ditalini
• 6 oz kale (about 6 loose cups), stems removed, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Warm the oil in a large pot on medium. Cook the onion, carrots and celery 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft.
2. 2Add the zucchini and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, basil and thyme. Cook 2 minutes, until the paste darkens a shade.
3. 3Pour in the tomatoes with their juice and the water. Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.
4. 4Simmer, partly covered, 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
5. 5Add both cans of beans and the pasta. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is tender. A mile up water boils lower, so taste a piece at 10 minutes rather than trusting the box.
6. 6Stir in the kale and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until it is bright and soft. Take out the bay leaves.
7. 7Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. If the soup is too thick, add water, ½ cup at a time.
8. 8Cool no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate, covered, up to 4 days. Reheat to a boil, adding water, since the pasta keeps drinking.