Minestrone Soup

A fall favorite. Very much a "clean out the fridge" soup as you can use any veggies you find hiding in there. This soup is also very diet friendly and a good way to hide those pesky veggies that we should be eating lots and lots of.

Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium yellow squash, diced
• 5 cups Vegetable Cooking Stock
• 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 package of noddles of your choice, though i suggest shells.
• 2 fresh tomatoes cut into chunks (sizing of your choice)
• 1 can kidney beans
• parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a heavy bottom soup pot.
2. Add in the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
3. Stir in celery, carrots, squash and saute for 5 minutes more.
4. Add in the Stock, potatoes, beans, pasta and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the pasta has cooked.

* please note, if you make this in advance and let the pasta sit, the noodles will continue to swell, robbing the soup of its succulent broth. So if you need/want to cook in advance, add the noodles 15 minutes or so prior to service.

Garnish with Parm and Enjoy. Also, with this recipe, I have to again emphasize, use this recipe as a jumping off point, Minestrone can be special and a direct representation of a cooks taste and personality. Play it up, make it yours!