Minestrone Stew

Today when I was driving home from the library, it was snowing. Seriously?! Snow?! This cold weather needs to go away, but until it does, I'll keep making soups and stews rather than turn the heat on in our house! I love minestrone, but I wanted something more substantial and hearty, so I turned it into a stew. This is a photo of the leftovers reheated, so it was a bit more thick here than originally, but I just added a bit more stock later on to make it a little more like soup. This made a HUGE batch, it completely filled my dutch oven.

Minestrone Stew

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

1/4 lb. haricot verts, cut in 1" pieces

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

Salt and Pepper

1/2 c. red wine

1 5 oz. can organic tomato paste

1 28 oz. can organic crushed tomatoes with basil

6 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning blend (or chopped fresh)

1/4 lb. ditalini

1 15 oz. can organic kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz. can organic cannelini beans, drained

Parmesan, for garnish

Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish

Heat a dutch oven over medium, add 1 tbsp EVOO. Saute' onions, garlic, beans, zucchini, squash and carrots for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn to medium high, add tomato paste, stir to combine. Add wine and herbs, cook to reduce until veggies and tomato paste are thick. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, beans and pasta. Bring to a simmer, stir, cover and turn to low.

Cook for 30 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings. Make sure pasta is cooked and veggies are tender.

Serve with parmesan, crushed red pepper and crusty bread.

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