Reviewed: Jan. 22, 2012

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for and it was a hit with my family! I made only a couple of minor changes: used olive oil instead of butter to saute veggies, low-salt vegetable broth (to make it 100% vegetarian), added 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, used ditalini (small, tubular) pasta instead of elbows, used chopped tomatoes with Italian seasoning and 2 heaping tablespoons of tomato paste. Served with a green salad and crusty bread - yum!

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Reviewer:

Linda Lou

Home Town: Petaluma, California, USA

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2012

This is good soup. I omitted the margarine and added crumbled bacon and italian sausage, cooking the onion, celery and carrots in the bacon drippings. Then, when I added the other veggies, I also added a small chopped zucchini. This will make it more of a main dish and not just a light starter. MMM, good;-)

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Reviewer:

maria29

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2012

YUM!! I followed this recipe almost exactly as written.I didn't add potatoe and added a can of green beans. It was perfect!!

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Reviewer:

sandy

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Hawthorne, New Jersey, USA

Living In: Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 6, 2011

Very nice, my vegetarian MIL loved it. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken.

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Reviewer:

WENCH01

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2011

Yummy hearty soup on a cold winter night! Even my little kids enjoyed it! I added chopped green beans, much more salt garlic, black pepper basil and oregano....it was very tasty!

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Reviewer:

Ross613

Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2011

Very good minestrone. I particularly liked it because it is simple and there is not an overload of seasoning. I did change some things 1. I added green beans and zucchini 2. I added to extra cups of water and bullion 3. I added dried basil Next time I make this recipe, I will cut the macaroni in half and add more beans.

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Reviewer:

klh1010

Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2011

I used this recipe as a guide, being that I didn't quite have everything on hand. I shredded leftover Thanksgiving turkey and added it to the soup. I used beef bouillon cubes and water in lieu of the chicken broth. I subbed garlic chili sauce and medium taco sauce for the tomato paste. I used black beans, corn, carrots, parsnips, celery, diced tomatoes, onions, red potatoes, and added some extra spices, such as a bay leaf and some adobo. This made an excellent spicier version of minestrone. I served this with a side of fresh baked cornbread.

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6 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Nicole

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Gilroy, California, USA

Living In: Saugerties, New York, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2011

This was wonderful. I did change the recipe just based on what I needed to use up & to fit our family. I added fresh, chopped green beans, more cabbage, a whole med onion, 3/4 cup of whole wheat macaroni and omitted the cheese. I ended up using more garlic, doubled the tomatoes, and used water and bouillon (2 ckn bouillon and 1 beef) instead of stock. It came out great and the recipe is a wonderful base.

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Reviewer:

LoriFaye

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2011

I made this soup tonight and it turned out great. Delicious!!! Perfect meal for a cold fall night. Hearty and flavorful. Served with some warm french bread. Thanks so much for this recipe :)

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Reviewer:

flo120776

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Nov. 2, 2011

Great recipe! Some changes for preference/items on hand: I didn't have an onion so I added extra carrots/celery (ground up in food processor) and added some frozen cubes of bacon (lardon) while sauteeing. I doubled the tomatoes (used coarse ground instead of stewed) and didn't add cabbage b/c I didn't have any (boo!). Since I had doubled the tomatoes, I added about a cup of water w/ a bouillon cube and doubled the pasta too. In effect, this doubled the recipe. The bacon added a fabulous smokiness and the bits of potatoes, pasta and veggies were perfect- not too chunky. Can't wait to eat again tomorrow!

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3 users found this review helpful