Minestrone Soup

This is the Vegetarian Minestrone soup that you get in Olive Garden restaurant.

Ingredients:

1 can of tomato chunks (i have noticed that canned tomato gives the restaurant taste compared to fresh tomatoes)
2 cups of Rajma (Red kidney beans)
1/2 cup of chopped celery (small bite size pieces)
3/4 cup of shell pasta
1 tsp butter
1 small bunch of basil leaves (10-12 leaves) finely chopped.
1/2 tsp Oregano powder
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
Few leaves of Rosemary (the dried ones will also do)
1/4 tsp of dried Tarragon
1/4 tsp of Thyme
1/4 tsp of Red chilli powder (papparika)
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak Rajma overnight. Then pressure cook rajma. If you are using canned red kidney beans, you don't need to cook it. Use it as is.


2. Heat butter in a pot/vessel. Add pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme and tarragon.

3. Saute for a few seconds. Then add chopped basil and saute for another minute.

4. Add tomato chunks and celery.

5. In the meanwhile, boil water for pasta. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp olive oil and pasta to the water and boil till the pasta is cooked al-dente.

8. Add this pasta along with the water to the boiling tomato/herb mixture.
9. Add salt and chilli powder to taste and boil it for a good 15-20 minutes for all the flavors to be incorporated.

10. You may add more water and boil if you think the consistency is too thick.

Soup is now ready. If you like, you may add some croutons or have it with bread.