Ciao Chow Linda

Summer Minestrone

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup minced onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 stalks of celery, minced

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 1 1/2 cups chopped green beans

• 2 cups chopped zucchini

• 8 cups water

• a parmesan cheese rind

• 1 cup pureed plum tomatoes

• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can red or black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 ears of corn, stripped off the cob, but retain the cob to put in the pot

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• fresh basil, thyme and parsley

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• ditalini, elbows or orzo pasta

• parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in a large pot, and sauté the onion, garlic and celery until soft but not browned.

2. Add the carrots, green beans, zucchini, water, parmesan cheese rind and tomatoes.

3. Add the salt, pepper and fresh and dried herbs.

4. Cook everything together at a low simmer for 45 minutes, adding the corn cobs.

5. Remove the corn cobs from the pot and add the beans and the corn kernels.

6. Cook for another 1/2 hour.

7. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in water in a separate pot.

8. When the vegetables are cooked, add some of the pasta to the soup and serve in bowls.

9. If you’re not serving all the soup at once, wait to add the pasta, otherwise the pasta will become overcooked and mushy when you reheat it.