by Kami Bigler posted in Life & Home

You know what's way harder than it should be" Getting enough veggies into our diets on the regular. I always try to have a veggie side dish or something with every meal, but then the bargaining with the kids starts -- "Do I have to eat ALL my corn"" or "How about I just eat 5 bites of broccoli because I'm only 5 years old"" BUT when the veggies are built into the meal, like with soup?it?s an automatic! They'll just eat it with no question. This recipe for Minestrone soup is super easy and it will be your new go to.

Here?s a visual of everything you'll need for this soup. I spy the ingredients of a ?mirepoix." Any day I get to use my one French culinary word from all those hours of Food Network-watching is a great day!

Ingredients: 1½ tablespoons olive oil

1 small/medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1-2 stalks celery, diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 15-ounce cans white beans like Great Northern or Canalini

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

32 ounces vegetable broth (4 cups)

3 cups water

½ cup small shell pasta
Instructions:
1. On medium high heat add olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Toss in diced onions, carrot, and celery. Saute 4-5 minutes, until onions start to look translucent. Add the garlic and cook stirring until ...