Michela's Healthy Minestrone Recipe, Illustrated

From Kyle Phillips, former About.com Guide

It's important to rinse the onion, Michela says, because doing so reduces onion's natural windiness. Start with a pot proportionate to the volume of the ingredients; it should be heavy bottomed, because legumes placed in a thin-bottomed pot are prone to scorching.

Put the quarter cup of oil in the pot, together with the chopped onion, carrot and celery, and cook until they are wilted. You don't want to color them, but simply evaporate the moisture that was released when you chopped them.