Princeton Happenings

My cousin, David Straight, is an amazing chef and former inn keeper and has spoiled us over the years with some fantastic meals. One of my favorites is his Minestrone soup – easy, hearty, and chuck-full of good-for-you vegetables! Don’t be afraid of the prep work, it’s easy and so worth it! Remember the Parmesan cheese before serving, it’s the perfect touch to a great cool weather dish.

Minestrone with fresh tomatoes

This can easily get very salty, so try to pick canned beans w/as low sodium as possible. Also, V8 has a low sodium version.

½ cup olive oil
4 small yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchini, chopped
4 red potatoes, unpeeled, large chop
2 stalks celery, large chop
2 cups fresh green beans, cut to 1 inch pieces
5 ripe, plum tomatoes, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (College Inn garden veg. Is the best!)
1 ½ tsp dried parsley
1 ½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried sage
1 can canellini (white beans) undrained
1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1/3 cup V8 juice
1/3 cup elbow macaroni

In a small saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil until onion is translucent (5-7 minutes). In a soup kettle, combine zucchini, potatoes, celery, green beans, plum tomatoes, broth and onion/garlic mixture. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Turn heat up and add herbs, beans, macaroni, and V8. Cook for length of time directed for macaroni.

Serve with Parmesan cheese, great with crusty bread and white wine!