Sardinia Minestrone

This recipe is packed with all of the good stuff and a hearty dinner. Make sure to pack some for lunch the following day.

• One can garbanzo beans, organic BPA free, drained and rinsed
• 1 can cannellini beans, organic BPA free, drained and rinsed
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil / 4 T olive oil for topping
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2/3 cup) 2 medium celery stalks, chopped (about ½ cup) [Can chop all vegetables in a food processor to save time]
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can finely diced tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 broccoli stalk, peeled and chopped, and one fennel bulb chopped ( optional )
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped, 2 T basil leaves chopped
• ½ t dried oregano leaves
• 1 cup Sardinia fregula, Israeli couscous, or small gluten-free pasta
• 4 cups vegetable broth or beef broth
• 1 cup filtered water, add more if needed
• ½ t fresh ground pepper and ½ t salt and ¼ t red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

Warm 3 T olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery and cook until soft but not browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, pasta, potatoes, fennel, parsley, and basil as well as drained beans and chickpeas. Add broth and tomato sauce and mix well. Add enough water so that everything is submerged by 1 inch. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Simmer time is approximately 1 ½ hours.

• Stir in pasta, salt, and pepper. Add up to two additional cups of water or broth if the soup is too dry with the addition of pasta. Simmer until tender, approximately 10 minutes.
• Pour 1 T of olive oil into a serving bowl then divide the soup into serving bowls. Top with 1 T grated cheese.