Zoë’s Minestrone

Ingredients

• 6-7 cups cooked small white beans
• 1/2 lb (uncooked) orzo pasta
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika
• 2-1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 4 teaspoon salt
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 box frozen, chopped spinach
• 1/2 bunch (or more) fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 lb frozen sweet corn
• water

Instructions

1. Cook beans ahead of time (or used canned). Cook orzo until al dente, drain and set aside.
2. In a large stock pot, sauté onion, celery and carrots in 1/4 cup olive oil, until soft. Then push vegetables to sides of pot to make a clear area in the middle.
3. Add remaining 1/2 cup of oil, then add herbs and spices. Stir herbs and spices into oil and cook until the mixture bubbles, then mix with the vegetables until evenly coated.
4. Add crushed tomatoes plus 3 cans of water. Add tomato paste. Stir until the paste dissolves, then add frozen spinach and cook over medium-high heat until the spinach is mostly thawed.
5. Add parsley, corn, beans, and orzo. Simmer for about half an hour.
6. Not counting bean cooking time, it takes about 1.5 hours to make this soup.

Notes