Name: Italian Minestrone Soup recipe by Vanitha Bhat at BetterButter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked Rotini pasta (I have used natural tomato and spinach flavored); 1 medium-sized onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced; ½ bell pepper/capsicum, cubed; ½ cup sliced mushrooms; 1 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes; or; 2 large tomatoes, chopped; ¼ to ½ cup tomato puree or paste; ½ cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo/chole beans (white beans, black beans, red kidney beans etc.); 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped; 2 large green chillies/jalapenos; ½ tsp dried oregano leaves; ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning; Salt to taste; Pinch of sugar (depending upon the sourness of the tomatoes); 2 tablespoons of olive oil/any cooking oil; Cilantro/coriander leaves or celery leaves for garnishing; Grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Ingredients Serving: 3

1 cup cooked Rotini pasta (I have used natural tomato and spinach flavored)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
½ bell pepper/capsicum, cubed
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
or
2 large tomatoes, chopped
¼ to ½ cup tomato puree or paste
½ cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo/chole beans (white beans, black beans, red kidney beans etc.)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
2 large green chillies/jalapenos
½ tsp dried oregano leaves
½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar (depending upon the sourness of the tomatoes)
2 tablespoons of olive oil/any cooking oil
Cilantro/coriander leaves or celery leaves for garnishing
Grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions; do not throw away the water; you can use it to add to the soup.
Heat oil in a large saucepan and once hot, add the onions, garlic and green chilies and sauté on medium heat until the onions are slightly soft. Sprinkle the dry seasonings; oregano and Italian seasoning and stir to mix well.
Toss in the chopped celery and carrots and give it a good stir. Fry again for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and if you are using fresh tomatoes, add these at this stage.
Fry for about 1 minute on high until the mushrooms start to wilt and tomatoes are soft. Stir in tomato paste or puree and if using a can of tomatoes instead, dump that in.
Add water, about 2 cups or more, depending upon how thick or thin you want your soup and bring to a boil. Season with salt and sugar; mix well.
Once it comes to a boil, add in the cooked beans and simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the spices and seasonings.
Toss in the cooked pasta, give it one boil and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped herbs like cilantro or celery leaves and serve hot with some toasted bread, grated cheese etc. and maybe a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!!

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