Healthy and Delicious: Vegetable Minestrone

Vegetables are in no doubt the healthiest food in the planet. We all need a hefty serving of the food group everyday to keep out bodies healthy, well-functioning and to ward off diseases. Unfortunately, no matter the good benefits of vegetables, many of us have discriminating tastes that vegetables cannot surpass especially kids. They are the population who runs for their lives whenever their parents make them eat one.
So how do you make vegetables more pleasing to eat? Try making it into minestrone. Vegetable minestrone is an Italian dish that means the big soup in English loaded with tons of vegetable servings. It is a thick Italian soup heavily laden with healthy vegetables and often served with rice or pasta. It can be made like a full-pledge vegetarian with ingredients containing vegetables alone or for the carnivores you can add meat or meat-based broth for the soup.
There is not one set recipe of Vegetable minestrone as it is usually made form vegetables that are in season. But here is one recipe that you can make for the non-professional cook and people who are in doubt of being experimental that is tried and tested by many that will surely have you especially your kids enjoy eating vegetables.
Ingredients;

• 1 bunch of rinsed Swiss chard
• 4 tomatoes, medium-sized
• 2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 minced cloves of garlic
• 2 medium-sized sliced and peeled carrots cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 2 medium-sized zucchini, quartered with lengthwise cut ¼ inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup white wine, dry
• 2 cups of green cabbage, shredded
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups of chicken broth, preferable reduced sodium

What you need to do;

• In a large pot, pour water and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to boil finely cut the stems of the Swiss chard, the leaves into strips and set aside for later use.


• Boil tomatoes for thirty seconds into the pot of boiling water. Lift from the pot using a slotted spoon and rinse with cold water. Remove the skin and cut into quarters then remove seeds. Set aside as well.


• Pour ½ of the cannellini beans with ½ cup of water into a blender and puree. Set aside also.


• In a large pan over medium heat, pour olive oil and sauté garlic for about 2 minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, chard stems, and sprinkle with salt. Cook until stems are tender for about 5 minutes. Add dry white wine and cabbage and cook for another 2 minutes.


• Add chard leaves, cannellini beans, tomatoes, bean puree, chickpeas, parmesan and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. To serve top with more parmesan cheese.

Vegetables can be very delicious with this quick and easy Vegetable Minestrone Recipe. Your kids will surely love starting to eat more vegetables with this dish.

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