Minestrone Soup

I needed a quick recipe so I looked for something from Rachael Ray. I choose Green Minestrone, but the soup quickly became a bit different when the ingredients in my refrigerator did not match the ingredients of the recipe, so I improvised. The end result; a soup with a lot of color, nutrients, and flavor.

I gave this soup a rating of 8, while Andy thought the soup was a 7.3.

Here is my adapted recipe:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 large cloves minced garlic

1 box frozen corn

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

1 15 oz can red kidney beans

1 15 oz can black beans

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 cups chicken broth or stock (use more if necessary)

1 cup ditalini pasta

6 small tomatoes, quartered

10 ounces triple washed spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped, or any other dark greens

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, plus extra to pass at the table

Directions

Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add oil and prosciutto. Saute 2 minutes and add onions, celery, garlic, corn and bay leaf to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Saute vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beans and chicken broth to the pot. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 minutes, or until pasta is just tender. Stir in spinach to wilt, 1 minute. Stir in grated cheese and ladle soup into bowls.