Do You Even Minestrone?

Yesterday was my favourite type of Saturday: playing with our baby, and a visit from auntie coming to play with her niece. If I get to cook for loved ones at least twice a week (excluding cooking for my love every single day), then it's a good week. I know we all have busy schedules, but giving someone your time is such a beautiful gift!

As the temperature outside is still in the negatives, it felt like the ideal weather to prepare a nice minestrone soup with fresh vegetables and a nice touch of tubetti. It is beyond simple and flavourful. I must've had 2-3 bowls before I realised I could use a breather. Not a bad feeling! Please excuse my horrid nails and lighting, it was a cloudy winter day and it tasted marvellous regardless so we'll focus on that today.

Funny enough, the first minestrone soup I have ever prepared was in some odd family finances/ stay-at-home-wife preparatory class in school called 'économic familiale' (AM I EIGHTY!?). I believe we were the last year to go through this ordeal, it was an all-girls school with a great international program but with a curriculum from the 70s- such creepy vibes from this. But hey college was great, they can't all be winners!

You will need,

Zucchini (1/2, chopped in small pieces)

Tubetti (1 pack- don't be scared to overdo it, I hate when soups have a small amount of starch!)

Tomato sauce (1 cup)

Chicken broth (1 box)

Basil and garlic broth (or a simple vegetable broth, I threw in a tablet!)

Chickpeas (1 can, drained)

Yellow onion (1, chopped)

Garlic (4 cloves, minced)

Salt

Black pepper

Butter (2 tbsp, I used garlic and herbs infused butter)

Parsley (tons!)

A few simple steps,

1. In a pot over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic and onions, toss and add salt and pepper- stir until the onions are translucent

2. Add parsley and pour broth

3. Lower heat, add zucchini, pasta sauce and chickpeas and let simmer for 15-20, while stirring here and there

4. Add the tubetti- the soup will be ready to go when the noodles are fully cooked

5. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed and serve