Truly Vegetarian Minestrone

Recipe Directions

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces already-sliced fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 cups low-sodium V-8 juice
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
2 cans (14 ounces each) fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 cup frozen green peas
10 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a soup pot. Add mushrooms and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are crisp-tender and mushrooms begin to loose their liquid, about 2 to 3 more minutes.

Add garlic, vegetable juice, water and pasta to pot, and raise heat to high. Cover pot and bring broth to a boil. While soup is heating, lift lid to stir from time to time as pasta will begin to stick to the pot bottom.

Rinse and drain chickpeas, kidney beans and olives, and set aside.

When soup boils, reduce heat to medium-high. Uncover pot and add tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas, kidney beans, olives, Italian seasoning, sugar and black pepper. Stir frequently, adjusting heat if necessary to make sure soup maintains a vigorous boil. Cook until pasta is just tender, about 5 more minutes. In last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in still-frozen green peas. Serve at once, garnishing each bowl with 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese or more to taste.