Our take on a popular Italian soup, Minestrone, is basic yet it's flavorful. It's clean, warm, hearty, and chunky, and best of all, made from scratch with fresh ingredients! *Inactive Time (soaking beans) is not included in Total Time
Place red kidney beans in a large prep bowl. Cover with plenty of water and add a small amount of salt (a few pinches.) Soak them 8 hours or overnight. After soaking, discard the water.
In a large pot, place the soaked beans and cover with enough water (about 1 1/2 inches above the beans.) Uncover the pot and cook it over high heat to bring it to boil. As soon as it starts boiling, turn off the heat. Use a colander to drain. Give a quick rinse under running water and set aside. Rinse the pot thoroughly and wipe off the water.
Place the same pot back to the stove. Heat it up over medium high heat. Pour extra virgin olive oil and add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Then add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until caramelized.
Next, add yellow onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Then add green beans, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and black pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the red kidney beans, tomato purée, water, and bay leaves. Cover with a lid and turn up the heat to bring to boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to medium low then skim off the foam. Put the lid back on and let it simmer for 45-60 minutes until beans are tender.
In the meantime, cook fusilli in a separate pot. Boil water in a medium pot. Cook fusilli in salted water for 11-13 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Once beans are fully cooked and tender, remove the bay leaves. If it's too thick add more water. Adjust the seasonings with salt and black pepper if necessary. Taste the soup. If it’s too acidic, add sugar to reduce the acidity (optional.) Add the cooked fusilli into the soup just to heat it through.
Serve the soup in a bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for the finishing touch. To add an extra layer of flavors, top it with vegan parmesan style cheese and minced parsley (optional.)