Meatless Recipe for Lent–Quick and Easy Minestrone

Minestrone

• 3 TBSP butter
• ½ c chopped onion
• 1 ½ c chopped carrots
• 1½ c diced potatoes
• 3 large celery stalks, sliced
• 3 TBSP flour
• 1 can tomatoes or 28 oz frozen chopped tomatoes
• 8 c vegetable stock
• 1 can (4 oz) tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSP dried basil
• 1 c diced zucchini
• 1 can (14 oz) red kidney beans w/ juice
• ¾ – 1 c pasta
• 1 c frozen peas

-Melt butter in soup pot and saute onion, carrots, potatoes and celery.
-Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
-Add tomatoes, veggie stock, tomato paste, salt, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and basil.
-Bring to a boil over high heat; turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes.
-Add zucchini, kidney beans, pasta and frozen peas; simmer for 5 minutes. Take out 1 cup and mash or blend then return to soup.
-Serve with parmesan cheese.

(Times given are for crisp veggies; for more tender veggies, simmer longer.)