Yesterday, I sat down and actually thought about what I’ve been eating over the course of this cold, long winter. The lack of proper vegetables in my diet was pretty disconcerting, so after work I headed to Angel’s fruit stand on Knickerbocker to pick up ingredients for a meal that would satisfy both my need for hearty comfort food and healthy vitamin-packed produce. For $10, I walked away with a ton of vegetables, a loaf of bread, and a craving for Minestrone soup. The ingredients below are just a suggestion; you can add whatever you have lying around or whatever looks good at the market, and the results will be equally spectacular.

Minestrone (makes about 6 servings)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 potato, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 small head cabbage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 bunch spinach
1 can white beans
1 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes
4 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1-2 cups macaroni
salt and pepper to taste
1 rind of parmesan or pecorino

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and bay leaf. Cook the mix, stirring, until the onion is soft. Add zucchini, green beans and potato, and continue cooking for about 4 minutes. Add cabbage and spinach, and cook just until they just start to wilt. Add the entire can of beans (including liquid), the whole can of tomatoes, water, bullion cube, and cheese rind. Stir to combine, cover pot and simmer for about an hour. Ten minutes before the soup is done, add in the macaroni, return the cover, and cook until the pasta is done. Don’t forget to taste and add salt and pepper along the way. This soup keeps for about 3 days, just thin it out with some water when reheating. Enjoy!