Easy Minestrone Recipe

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Minestrone is a hearty, tomato-based, harvest-season soup originating from Italy. As with most dishes like this, there are lots of different recipes out there, many different traditions, and in all likelihood, some very strong feelings. That said, it seems like a great opportunity to experiment and improvise. In fact, it seems like improvisation is part of this soup’s legacy. Apart from the basic ingredients (mirepoix, stock, stewed tomatoes), there is room for the cook to choose two (or possibly more, or only one if need be) seasonal, hopefully local veggies to round out the soup. Traditionally the soup contains some pasta, but potentially a grain such as rice or barley could be used instead. As for beans, a white bean is often used, but so are kidney beans; we’re partial to garbanzos (chickpeas) so we use those. • Use a bigger pot than seems necessary. This is a soup which really grows. It’s hard to picture how much soup you’ll end up with, just from looking at the recipe. • The soup is excellent the next day but it will need some additional liquid added to it, which is just as well; it takes up less room in the fridge that way. If it were an entire batch of soup, on the next day one might be able to add as much as two whole quarts of beef stock and/or tomato product to it, to thin it out to a proper consistency. This may change somewhat depending on the choice of pasta or grain. • Makes enough for 12 people, roughly 4 quarts. • Equipment: • • large soup pot or dutch oven, with lid • • peeler • • olive oil or vegetable oil of your choice • • can opener • • strainer or colander for rinsing beans • Ingredients: • 1 ea onion • 2 ea carrots • 2 ribs celery • 2 cup seasonal veg zucchini, green beans, potato, yellow/butternut squash, peas, etc. • 2 cup greens spinach, kale, chard, collard, or similar; chopped • 1 bunch scallions optional; for finishing and garnish • 4 cloves garlic • 2-3 tsp lemon juice about half a lemon • ½ tsp oregano dried • ½ tsp thyme dried • ¼ tsp hot pepper flakes • 4-5 sprigs oregano fresh; optional; for finishing and garnish • 4-5 sprigs thyme fresh; optional; for finishing and garnish • 2 leaves bay fresh if available, otherwise dried • 1 can tomatoes 28oz; diced or whole • 2 Tbsp tomato paste • 1 qt broth vegetable, or beef • 2 cup water • 1 cup pasta, dry elbow, orrechiete, orzo, shells, stars; possibly crushed • 1 can beans roughly • 1½ cups of cooked beans to taste salt and pepper • ½ lb cheese Parmesan, asiago, manchego; grated; optional; for garnish • Procedure: • 1. Peel carrots and onions; rinse and dry all other vegetables and fresh herbs. • 2. Chop onion and celery fairly small but leave carrot a bit larger so that it will survive the whole cooking process, roughly ½” dice. • 3. Heat some oil in the bottom of the soup pot over medium heat; once it shimmers add the onion, celery, carrot and tomato paste, and a little salt. Allow to sweat 7-10 minutes stirring frequently in order to prevent tomato paste from burning. • 4. Meanwhile, chop the seasonal vegetables and the garlic. • 5. Cut the garlic according to your tastes: larger pieces of (or whole) garlic will be sweeter after cooking, whereas smaller pieces or mashed garlic will give a sharper flavor . • 6. Once the mirepoix has sweated to translucency, add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, and dried thyme and oregano. • 7. Allow the vegetables to go on cooking, letting the new veg sweat for just 2 or 3 minutes. • 8. Add the canned tomatoes along with their juice, rinsing out the can with some of the water. • 9. Add the broth, rinsing the broth container with some of the water. • 10. Add any remaining water, some more salt, the bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. • 11. Increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil, turning the heat down immediately to allow it to simmer with the lid cracked for 15 minutes or so. • 12. Meanwhile drain and rinse the beans. • 13. Add the beans, pasta, and greens to the soup and give it a careful stir. • 14. Allow the soup to continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 min or so, until the pasta is cooked and the greens are tender. • 15. If fresh herbs are to be used, chop them while the soup finishes cooking. • 16. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in some of the chopped fresh herbs if they are to be used. • 17. Adjust seasoning with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings seem appropriate: Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce are often indicated in small quantities. • 18. Optionally garnish bowls of minestrone with grated cheese and possibly reserved chopped herbs. Resist the urge to place sticks of fresh thyme on top of the soup; no one wants to eat a thicket. • 19. Store leftover soup in a tightly closed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. • Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-...

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