Easy Minestrone Soup - (Gluten Free/Vegan)

I very much enjoy a good minestrone soup. This is a really simple recipe, and it's the perfect meal to make a day in advance for the next evenings meal. An added bonus is that it tastes even better the next day! There is no meat, so it's extremely budget friendly, but still very filling because of all the hearty veggies and mung beans.

Easy Minestrone Soup

• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound carrots
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 2 medium zucchini squash 
• 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (I've used fire roasted & regular!) 
• 1 pound frozen green beans
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock!) 
• 1 cup mung beans or green lentils (soaked overnight!) 
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Make sure you soak your lentils or mung beans overnight prior to making soup. If you forget, you can do a quick soak by washing your beans or lentils, bringing them to a boil in a medium saucepan and then reducing heat and simmering on low for 15 minutes. They will cook a few minutes longer once you add them to the soup, so don't worry if they're not completely soft after the quick soak.

Heat oil on medium heat in a large stockpot. Add chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until onions are softened and garlic is browning. Add chopped carrots and cook a couple minutes more. Add vegetable or chicken stock, crushed tomates, zucchini, yellow squash and frozen green beans and simmer on medium low until veggies are tender. Once soup is almost done, add lentils or mung beans, cooking just a few minutes more until lentils/beans are soft. Add more salt and pepper as needed, serve & enjoy. 

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