Minestrone with Tortellini

From: Cooking with Heinz Ketchup cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (hot or regular)
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
46 oz beef or chicken broth
16 oz whole tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup Heinz tomato ketchup
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cups sliced zucchini
7-9 oz meat or cheese-filled tortellini
Grated Parmesan cheese

In Dutch oven, brown sausage; drain excess fat.

Add onions and garlic, and saute until tender.

Add broth, tomatoes, ketchup, wine, carrots and celery; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Add zucchini and tortellini; simmer, covered, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve soup with Parmesan cheese.
























What I did differently:

I used dried onions instead of raw, 1/4 of a can of diced tomatoes, left out the red wine and celery, and used the tiniest zucchini I could find, all for the sake of my family's taste buds. It was still an amazing soup with incredible flavor.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This soup was really filling and had such a great flavor. I would definitely make it again.

Minestrone

From: Automatically Light cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb lean, top round of beef, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2 cups vegetable broth or juice
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp ground celery seed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup elbow macaroni
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Combine beef through pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Turn heat to high, add macaroni and vegetables, and cook for 30-40 minutes or until macaroni is just tender. Add beans and cook on high for an additional 5 minutes or until beans are warmed. Remove bay leaf. Correct seasoning, if desired.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love minestrone soup and this was a great recipe. I would definitely make this again in the future.

Spinach Minestrone

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

In a saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute onion and garlic until tender. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, carrots, macaroni and oregano. Cook until vegetables and macaroni are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach, bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand for 5-10 minutes.

One cup serving equals 143 calories, 109 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol, 26 gm carbohydrate, 8 gm protein, 1 gm fat.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I'll definitely make this again. Sorry there is no picture to go with the recipe. It was a fantastic soup and the best part is my 18-month old loved it. I love recipes that are so healthy that my kids will eat! Highly recommend this one!  

Minestrone with Turkey

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken broth or turkey stock
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2/3 cup frozen peas, corn and cut green beans, thawed
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup cubed cooked turkey
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Add the broth, vegetables, macaroni and seasonings.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Add turkey and zucchini; cook until zucchini is tender-crisp. Discard bay leaf. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used two carrots instead of one, 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup water instead of 4 cups of chicken broth, and ham instead of turkey because we had ham in the fridge already.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing. If I have turkey I'll use it but the ham worked too!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was such an easy recipe and really good with Parmesan cheese added on top. I don't have a final picture but trust me, it was delicious!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken broth or turkey stock
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2/3 cup frozen peas, corn and cut green beans, thawed
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup cubed cooked turkey
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Add the broth, vegetables, macaroni and seasonings.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Add turkey and zucchini; cook until zucchini is tender-crisp. Discard bay leaf. Serve with Parmesan cheese.