Minestrone Soup

Oh where oh where has this recipe been!  This soup is extremely awesome and delicious.  Originally it comes from my sister Cathy circa many years ago.  I used to make it back in my twenties quite often then somehow the recipe card didn't make it into my box, and I had long lost it, however it was not forgotten!  Then the other day there was a surprise for me AND my cookbook.  My sister Barbara had the recipe in her old recipe box.  So here it is for you!  It is easy to make, and tastes even better the next day.  It freezes well into individual servings.

Minestrone Soup:

Soak 1 pound of dry kidney beans overnight in a large pot.  To do this rinse the dry beans, removing any that look discolored or broken.  Add beans to a large soup pot and cover with water plus a few inches.  Cover with a lid and allow the beans to soak over night.  (package directions say 6-8 hours at the very least)

When you are ready to prepare the soup, drain the beans.  They will have fluffed up a bit. Add the beans back to the soup pot with 4 quarts of water and 1 tsp. of salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a good simmer, and cook the beans until they are tender.  You can start to sample a bean or two after it has simmered for about an hour.  When the beans are done, drain the beans, reserving the liquid.  Put aside 1 cup of the beans into the original pot with the reserved liquid.  Puree the rest of the beans in a blender.  (I did it in two batches)  You can add some of the reserved liquid to the blender to get a nice puree.

Add all the pureed beans into the soup pot with the reserved liquid and that extra cup of whole beans.

Then add:

1 small onion - chopped fine (or 1 Tbl. dried onion)
2 cloves of garlic - minced (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1 Tbl. salt (go for a good quality sea salt here)
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 - 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Mix in well and cook on a gentle simmer for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally)

Then add:

1 cup diced carrots (4 modest sized carrots)
1 cup diced celery (2 large stalks)
3 cups chopped Swiss chard
1 cup of small pasta (shells, macaroni, Ditalini, etc.)

Mix well and cook an additional 30 minutes, at a good simmer (stirring as necessary so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom). Taste for any additional seasonings that may need to be added (salt and pepper).  I made it tonight and didn't have to add anything additional!

I think you just have to garnish this soup with shredded cheddar cheese.  Enjoy!