Minestrone Soup - Low Carb

It was a chilly day here today which put me in the mood for soup. I decided to make Minestrone Soup for dinner which is essentially vegetable soup with an Italian twist. I just happened to have all the ingredients to make it. It turned out great and was the perfect comfort meal for this cold winter day. The soup base is primarily chicken stock along with a can of fire roasted tomatoes which adds a nice tomato flavor. My minestrone soup had onions, carrots, celery, green beans, red bell pepper, baby spinach, zucchini, tomatoes and it was seasoned with a couple dollops of basil pesto in place of dried herbs. I topped our bowls of soup with big flakes of Grana Padano cheese (similar to Parmigiana Reggiano in flavor) that I find at my local Costco. It added great flavor as it melted into the hot soup. This soup would be delicious served alongside my Parmesan Biscuits for a heartier meal. I snapped a couple photos and included the easy recipe below. Enjoy!

Parmesan Biscuits

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3 small carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
2 small zucchini, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes (including juice)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
2 rounded tablespoons basil pesto, or to taste (I used Barilla brand)
Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish soup with

Directions:

In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Saute approximately 5 to 10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add carrots and green beans; cover pot and reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes (if necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to prevent sticking). Uncover pot and add zucchini. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until all vegetables are softened.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover pot. Simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in spinach leaves and pesto. Cook approximately 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Serve soup topped with Parmesan cheese.