Loaded Veggie Minestrone Soup with Parmesan Crisps

This soup is my go-to when I want to “detox” and eat super healthy for a few days. No, an alien has not invaded this blog, this is really me. I love a minestrone soup but I prefer mine PACKED with veggies and just a little tiny bit of pasta. I know- who is typing this? Could. Not. Be. Me. I make mine ~fancy by adding a cute little parm crisp but that is totally optional. Feel free to add and remove any other additional veggies such as zucchini, crushed tomatoes, squash, kale, or cabbage! Just be careful to add them at the right time so that they don’t get too mushy.

what you need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced small
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 32 oz veggie stock
• 28 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 red potatoes, diced
• 1 can cut green beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup small pasta, such as orzo or wheels
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

what you need to do:

Soup:

• Before you begin anything, make sure all of your veggies are chopped, rinsed, and set aside. This includes everything in cans. You want it all ready to go, this makes things sooooo much easier.
• In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil at medium low heat. Once warm, add the onion and cook about 3 – 4 minutes.
• Add in 1 teaspoon of salt and all of the carrots. Stir and continue to cook another 5 – 6 minutes or until the carrots begin to somewhat soften.
• Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, stir to combine and cook about 2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant.
• Add in the tomato paste and mix, it will be pretty thick but you want to soften up that paste and get it super fragrant so all of the flavor is activated. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Next, pour the veggie stock, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of water and stir to combine.
• Add in the potatoes, Italian seasoning, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and basil. Stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower to the lowest heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• While this simmers, bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Cook the noodles as advised on the package, then drain them and set them aside.
• Check the done-ness of the carrots and potatoes by piercing them with a fork. If they are tender but not mushy, go ahead and add all of the beans and peas. If they are still firm, cook another 5 – 8 minutes before adding the beans and peas. Stir to combine and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add in your noodles, and then using a spoon, taste the liquid for seasonings.
• If it needs salt, add 1/8 teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired saltiness. The canned vegetables will retain a lot of salt from their canning liquids, so be careful to not add too much. My saying with salt: you can always add more but you cannot take it away!
• I always let the noodles hang out for about 5 minutes in the soup before I serve, just to let them soak up the juices and get acquainted. Serve hot and top with a Parmesan crisp! (Recipe for that below)

Parm Crisp:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
• Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in little circles all over the pan, about 3 inches apart, then press down on them gently to flatten them out.
• Crack some fresh ground pepper on top and then place in the oven.
• Bake for 3 – 5 minutes, or until they are flat and lightly browned. Remove from oven and gently peel them back from the parchment.
• Serve on top of your bowl of soup!

Notes:

• This soup can be a bit thick, but that is my preference. If you want a more liquidy soup, add in an extra cup of water.