Hearty Minestrone Soup

I like my soup how I like my men, easy and low maintenance.

This soup is awesome because almost all the flavor you need come from the ingredients, you just throw it all in a pot and let it simmer as opposed to those other needy soups that keep nagging for your attention, constantly complaining about how they need to be stirred and seasoned. One thing I noticed is how much this soup absorbs liquid over night (even though I covered it whilst cooking) so I added an extra cup of chicken broth to prevent said absorption. With that being said, I must say this soup is delicious and super satisfying (this coming from the woman who lived off this stuff for a week and didn't get sick of it).

Hearty Minestrone Soup

serves 3-4

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cooked ditalini pasta (I used mini penne because it was the high fiber kind)
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage

Directions:

1.In a large soup pot (or slow cooker), combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, cabbage, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

2.Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add pasta and zucchini. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan (or sharp cheddar) cheese over top.