A Wonderful full flavor Soup using a variety of colorful vegetables, beans and leafy greens!
Want a sure proof way to help you stay on track with a healthy mediterranean lifestyle?
Allow me to help you turn simple whole ingredients into a complete meal in one pot. This quintessential soup is at the corner stone of cooking Italian. Minestrone soup never goes out of style and it always finds it’s way into homes all over Italy and the Mediterranean. The soup I share with you today are the fundamental base principles I learned from generational cooking. I want to share with you all the details of this wonderful ancient soup. I hope you make it at home and share it with your loved ones.
What do I mean when I say “begin with the end in mind”? It is because you want to have a vision before you even start. Then with that thought, go to the store or if you are lucky enough your garden and buy or pick the absolute freshest ingredients possible. You may very well have some vegetables in your kitchen you still have available from the week. Include them as well. Get familiar with the look and smell of fresh vegetables. Italian cooking at the very foundation is exactly this. Fresh, nutritionally dense, finest ingredients one can find. Then build your recipe from there. Choose a quality extra virgin olive oil to have in your pantry at all times. Pure, rich, first cold pressed olive oil is an important start to most recipes made in Italian kitchens. It actually makes perfect sense that olives picked from ancient olive trees would be the most important ingredient used to beginning a healthy mediterranean lifestyle.
Soffritto is the next important cooking Italian 101 you need to know and never forget. Starting with the best olive oil, drizzle into the pan and allow it to heat up on the stove. When you add these marvelous vegetables is where perfection begins. Why does that wonderful sizzle get to me every time the carrots, celery and onions hit the pan? It’s truly magical. A great soffritto needs three things. Fresh ingredients, time and patience. Traditionally you will add the carrots first, allow to cook for 5 minutes, stir often. Next the celery for about two minutes and finally the onion. In this order allows each ingredient to cook the correct amount of time. Once the soffritto has sauted for another 5 minutes I then will add my finely chopped garlic and one can of peeled tomatoes broken apart. On a side note, there are sometimes when you are short on time. In this case you certainly may go ahead and add the trio all at once to the sizzling olive oil.
“Cucina Povera” is the modern day Gourmet
Ancient wisdom and “cucina povera” translated means “poor kitchen”. Who knew then that this way of cooking is now touted as one of the worlds healthiest diets. Vita Rustica was created with this in mind. Getting back to what the good earth brings forth. Minestrone Soup is a perfect example of how to use up some of the extra “vedura” (fresh vegetables) that are still around in the kitchen. This is exactly why the foundation of minestrone is always the same, and begins with soffritto. However the final vegetables will depend what is in season, what you have left on hand, then finally each individuals family desires. A quick run to the store could be worth it to add to what you already have on hand. You can’t please everyone but we sure do try. You can get creative every time you make it. This version I give you today is what I call my winter version. It is hearty and full of fresh vegis and then to pack a power punch in winter sometimes I add a frozen medley of vegetables as fresh are not always readily available.
Don’t forget the beans!
Cannellini beans are my favorite for my minestrone soup. They are delicate and have a nutty flavor I just love. I think it also adds elegance and are loaded with antioxidants. You can soak your beans overnight in water with a bay leaf. Then boil separately until they become soft. Once you drain them, you can add the beans to your minestrone the last twenty minutes so they absorb the flavors of the soup before serving. Other beans you can use are kidney beans dark or light. When short on time or dried beans are not an option I choose organic can beans.
My top secret fool proof thickening agent are the beans themselves. Place half the beans inside a food processor and blend until creamer, then add them to your soup and stir. This one step just elevated your minestrone to perfetto!
Choose a leafy green vegetable to add a powerful nutrient
Unfortunately it is no secret the average American diet is lacking big time in fruits and vegetables. Especially leafy greens. At first they may seem scary or what the heck do I do with these green things. But what if I told you one of the major components to health includes leafy greens, which is a big part of the mediterranean diet. They are truly so easy to add to so many dishes. Just rinse each leave really well with cold water and cut the hard part of the stem off. Then chop up finely and toss them into your minestrone half hour before serving.
Once you add the beans and green leafy vegetable, stir and allow to simmer on low another twenty minutes. You can serve with grated pecorino romano cheese or your favorite grated cheese. A nice piece of crunchy bread brushed with olive oil, rubbed with garlic and placed in the oven till toasty, can add a great side pleasure to your soup. Laddle soup in individual bowls and call everyone to the table.
The Best Winter Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 ribs celery peeled, cleaned and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced and finely chopped
- 2 med golden peeled and diced potatoes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 cups water
- 2 cups cannellini beans (may use canned also)
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- 2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 lb pasta, stellini pastina or choice
- grated pecorino romano
- pinch crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Over medium flame in stock pot add carrots first for five minutes, then the celery for three minutes, then finally the onion stir and allow to saute together for a few more minutes. Then add minced, chopped garlic
- Add peeled tomatoes , break apart before adding.
- Immediately add the diced potatoes and parsley, oregano, crushed red pepper,salt and black pepper. Stir well, let it cook covered on medium flame for ten minutes, remove the cover and stir. Add water, or vegetable stock put on high flame, when you see it boil lower heat and add optional fresh zucchini and/or frozen vegetables. Cover again and cook for one hour. Stirring occasionally.
- After one hour add only the creamy cannellini paste you made from half the beans in the food processor and stir very well.
- It is now time to add your remaining beans and green leafy chopped vegetables. This time I added swiss chard,however you can add escarole or cabbage or spinach, all are great options.
- If you want to have pasta, In a separate pot boil water add pasta, salt, until al dente and drain
- Allow the minestrone to cook another half hour covered on low-medium heat. Add cannellini beans, stir and cover ten more minutes. It is now ready to serve.
- serve in individually bowls add scoop of pasta to guests who want it. then laddle minestrone over it.
- add pecorino romano cheese to taste and serve hot!
Notes
- You can begin your minestrone in a large stock pot and transfer to a crockpot if you will be gone most of the day and want it all ready to serve when you arrive home.
- Time saving tip, chop all vegetables night before to save time the next day and don’t be afraid to experiment with different vegetable that you love.
