Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is just good for the soul. Clean and simple, homey and delicious. Make a pot today- you'll be happy you did! 

Minestrone Soup

1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced 
1 parsnip, diced (optional- my daughter kept picking out the parsnip chunks, so beware!)
1 turnip, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 bay leaves
3 small zucchini
2 small yellow squash
2 15 ounce cans northern beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked elbow pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil in soup pot until soft. Add carrots, celery, parsnip, turnip and garlic and saute 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary,bay leaves salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to a simmer and let bubble uncovered for 30 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash and beans and raise heat to medium until the soup comes back to a bubble. Lower again to simmer and cook for 30 more minutes or until squash gets soft. Add cooked pasta and salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves. Serve with shaved parmesan and crostini toasts. Enjoy!