monica’s mushroom minestrone

 1 or 2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into coins

1 stalk celery, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tsp fennel seed

¼ tsp dried oregano *

¼ tsp dried rosemary *

¼ tsp dried thyme *

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

8 oz button mushrooms, woody stems trimmed, chopped

1 can kidney beans, drained well

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

1 cup (or about 4oz) small shape pasta, such as ditalini

1 32 oz vegetable broth

2 cups chopped green beans

2 cups chopped cabbage

Salt

Pepper

Red wine vinegar

Parsley

scallion

*Feel free to substitute more or less of one herb or another, depending on what you have. You can also sub a tsp of Italian seasoning/herb mix for the individual herbs.

Put the oil into a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a large pinch of salt. Stir and let cook until the onions begin to get translucent and the veggies begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, fennel, herbs, and paprika, and let cook for a minute to become aromatic. Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add a little more oil at this stage if the pan seems too dry. Add drained kidney beans, tomatoes with their juice, pasta, and broth. Turn up heat and bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and green beans, and let cook another 3 minutes. Veggies and pasta should be tender; if not, let cook a few more minutes until everything reaches desired doneness. Add water if soup needs more liquid. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar to taste. Top with torn parsley and sliced scallions, and serve with a full loaf of crusty bread.