Winter Minestrone

I made this minestrone soup last night. I only bought one box of chicken stock, which was 4 cups, so I added the other 4 cups in water and added a large beef bullion cube to enhance the flavor. I used rainbow chard instead of Swiss chard. I also used small white potatoes and peeled and cut them into quarters. I served the soup with a mixed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette and pugliese bread. Note to self, pugliese bread is not so good.

Ingredients:
1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 bulb fennel, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-35 oz. can whole tomatoes, lightly crushed
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 bunches Swiss Chard leaves, thinly sliced
2 cups short pasta, for serving
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, fennel, potatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and their juices, stock and cannellini beans; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in vinegar and Swiss chard; season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the pasta to al dente by following the directions included with the pasta. The addition of any short pasta is optional – I used ditalini
when plating, add the pasta separately from the soup, as it helps maintain the al dente texture longer – especially if you plan on reheating this dish!

Ladle soup over the pasta and garnish with cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8