Author: Allie, Hamama Happiness Manager

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 6-8 servings

Info about your recipe, fun backstory, etc: I love a good soup for several reasons. First, it warms and nourishes your belly and is so comforting to eat, especially in cold weather. Second, you can throw in basically anything you have on hand and pack it full of nutrients. Third, you can make a big pot and enjoy it over and over again, reducing your cooking for the week (it’s also the best thing to share with loved ones). I add beef and quinoa elbow pasta to my minestrone to make it extra hearty and top it with herbs and microgreens for an extra fresh taste. Enjoy!

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Ground cayenne pepper, for heat if desired
• 1 28-ounce can seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup elbow pasta (I used a gluten-free quinoa pasta for added protein)
• 2 cups fresh kale (or spinach), roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Nutritional Yeast, optional
• Hamama microgreens 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and saute with salt and pepper (add garlic powder and Italian seasonings if desired) until cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, zucchini, dried oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 3 more minutes.
3. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in your chopped kale (or spinach) and reserved cooked ground beef. Season again to taste.
4. Ladle into bowls and top with the fresh parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast and chopped basil and parsley. Garnish with your favorite microgreens and enjoy!

*If you have a fresh parmesan on the block, you can cut off the rind and throw it in the pot to simmer with the soup to flavor it. Just remove whatever is left of the rind right before serving. It will add a salty flavor and thicken everything up. YUM!