Ingredients

  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 – 5 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup minced celery
  • 1 cup cubed carrot
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 cup chopped green peppers
  • 1 cup cubed zucchini
  • 3 ½ cup water or stock
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1 can (14 oz.)
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 TBS tomato paste 

Directions

  1. In a soup kettle, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent.
  2. Add salt, celery, carrot, oregano, black pepper, and basil. Mix well. Cover and cook over low heat 5 – 8 minutes.
  3. Add green pepper, zucchini, water or stock, tomato sauce, and beans. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well. Cover and simmer over low heat another 15 minutes.
  5. Optional: Can be topped with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

Serves about 6

Don’t let the number of ingredients intimidate you. This dish was adapted from a Minestrone
recipe (with pasta) in Moosewood Cookbook and is regularly served at Cleveland Zazen Group’s Weekend Meditation Intensives. Roshi suggested eliminating the pasta which made the soup even better. It has been made at CZG without pasta ever since.

At home, pasta can be served on the side. Or try making true minestrone by cooking pasta
in the soup. Heat the finished soup to a boil, add up to 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup dry pasta
(any shape). Boil gently until pasta is tender. Serve immediately.