This soup has a huge following and if you are a foodie you know exactly what I mean. If you are not a foodie, you will enjoy this soup – it eats like a meal and, although you might not live to be 100 like the folks in Sardinia, you will certainly be admired by your family and friends for feeding them such a healthy and delicious meal.

Try to use fresh herbs when possible, but dry always works in a pinch. Don’t leave out the fennel fronds, they are key to the taste.

As always feel free to clink on the pink for ingredient inspiration.

Vegetarian Sardinian Style Italian Minestrone

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2 Tablespoons diced fennel fronds (not the bulb)

1 can drained and rinsed Kidney beans

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup peeled and diced yukon gold or other white potato

1/2 chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

1 cup small pasta shells

1 cup  very small pasta, we like Ancini de Pepe

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

4 cups veggie broth (can also sub water in a pinch!)

Instructions:

Add a bit of veggie broth to a large soup pot and heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes and fennel. Saute and stir often until all the vegetables are softened about 5-7 minutes.

Add tomato paste and garlic and stir into the veggie mixture.

Increase heat to medium high, add the beans, crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium low heat uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the pasta.  If you need to add more broth/water at this point – do so just until the ingredients are covered. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.

Stir in the herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with warm bread and, if you are not vegan, parmesan on top!

Enjoy!

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Vegetarian Sardinian Style Italian Minestrone

Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 2 Tablespoons diced fennel fronds not the bulb
• 1 can drained and rinsed Kidney beans
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup peeled and diced yukon gold or other white potato
• 1/2 chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup small pasta shells
• 1 cup very small pasta we like Ancini de Pepe
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 4 cups veggie broth can also sub water in a pinch!

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Add a bit of veggie broth to a large soup pot and heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes and fennel. Saute and stir often until all the vegetables are softened about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste and garlic and stir into the veggie mixture.
3. Increase heat to medium high, add the beans, crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium low heat uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the pasta. If you need to add more broth/water at this point – do so just until the ingredients are covered. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
5. Stir in the herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
7. Serve with warm bread and, if you are not vegan, parmesan on top!