Wholesome Veggie Minestrone Stew

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pasta
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup sliced orange bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (26 ounce) can reduced-sodium tomato soup
• 13 fluid ounces water
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced potatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until it’s tender but still has a bit of a bite—about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a big saucepan over medium heat. Toss in the orange and red bell peppers, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook everything together, stirring now and then, until the veggies start to soften, around 5 minutes. Next, pour in the tomato soup along with half a can of water. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, basil, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir, then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about an hour, so all the flavors get to know each other. When you’re ready to eat, ladle the stew over the cooked pasta and enjoy!