mighty minestrone soup

i made 2 big pots of soup this weekend.  but you're only going to hear about one.  this one.  because the other was a total fail.  i was trying to get creative with some butternut squash and the end result tasted like a funky miso gravy masquerading as a bowl of soup.  {and although i've thought to myself many times that i could totally eat miso gravy by the bowlful, i just couldn't do it.}  fail.

anyway, i said i was only going to tell you about one soup.  i guess i fibbed a bit.  this one however is a great soup.  you can either follow my recipe or just change this up with any vegetable or protein you prefer.  i usually make this with white kidney beans, but since i was out i diced up some extra firm tofu.

mighty minestrone
makes 4-6 servings
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup organic tofu, cubed or 1.5 cups white beans
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes
2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup celery, chopped {about 4 stalks}
1 cup zucchini, chopped {about 1 small zuke}
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups water or broth {i used 2 cups broth & 1 cup water}
1 tightly packed cup kale, chopped

start by sauteing the onion, garlic and salt in oil until softened but not browned.  add in the spices and tofu and continue to saute for 5-6 minutes.  add in the remaining ingredients {except for the kale} and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat to simmer and let the soup cook for 20-30 minutes.  stir in the kale and cook it down for a minute or two.

slurp away until you're a happy camper.

i guarantee that it will warm your belly, fill you up, and not taste anything like a bowl of gravy.

a big bowl of this is making its way over to wellness weekends at diet, dessert and dogs