Minestrone Soup & Whole Wheat Bread

Tonight's dinner is home-made minestrone soup with home-made whole wheat bread. I can't wait to try both! I made the soup, which is full of healthy veggies and chick peas, and did it ever smell delicious when it was cooking! The recipe says to cook in a crock pot but ours was too small so I chose to simmer it on the stove instead. It takes some time to chop all the veggies, but otherwise was super easy to make. Perfect for a fall meal! Check out the recipe below, and watch for the bread recipe, which Mike will be posting soon!

Herby Minestrone

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extravirgi-n olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and halved
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh savory
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
4 cups beef or vegetable broth
1 can (about 15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup 100% vegetable juice, such as V8
1 can (about 28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell peppers, and saut‚ until the vegetables lose their raw look, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of the garlic and the herbs and cook for another minute. Transfer into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add the broth, chickpeas, vegetable juice, diced tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover the cooker and cook for 3 to 5 hours on high, or 6 to 10 hours on low.

Stir in the parsley, the remaining garlic clove, and the lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve, garnished with grated cheese.

What Else
Minestrone improves with age; for the best flavor, prepare a day or two ahead. Or cook overnight, refrigerate until dinner, and reheat on the stove top. Feel free to alter the vegetables to fit what you have on hand.