by Caitlin Saniga
Another day, another way. The star of this minestrone soup is chicken. As a base, minestrone typically consists of a soup with carrots, zucchini, beans and pasta. Some of today’s extras include olive oil and, of course, chicken.
Even with the chicken, this soup remains fairly light. This pasta is best served right away because the pasta is cooked with the rest of the soup. If you want to serve it later, cook and store the pasta separate from the soup, and add it in later.
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 8-10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup dried radiatore pasta
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
In a large soup pot, cook the carrots, celery and onion in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth, water, kidney beans, chicken, green beans and pepper. Bring to a boil; add pasta. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Stir in zucchini. Return to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes more or until pasta is tender and green beans are crisp-tender. Stir in the undrained tomatoes; heat through.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens
Looks good n healthy!