Last night, in honor of the weather being colder, we made one of our favorite soup recipes. It's an italian vegetable soup called minestrone. Our recipe isn't completely vegetarian but you can substitute and subtract a few things if you prefer it to be. This recipe has a good number of ingredients, but it's still simple and makes a ton of soup. We usually double the recipe when we are making it for our families or friends. When following the recipe, just keep in mind that cooking is much more forgiving than baking. If you don't have enough of one vegetable, add more of another. If you don't like one of the ingredients, substitute it for something else. I'm not a religious recipe follower. Sometimes I don't have celery, so I use celery salt. Last night I didn't have any onions or bell peppers, so I just left them out this time. It was still delicious. I say just use what you have. This is a basic outline, make adjustments where you think they're needed!
A few tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 small-medium minced white(or yellow) onion
2 medium sized zucchini, sliced and halved
1 medium sized yellow squash, sliced and halved
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup minced celery
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 15 oz. cans of red kidney beans, drained
2 15 oz. cans of white beans, drained
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced (or use canned diced tomatoes)
3 medium sized carrots, chopped or shredded
4 cups of organic chicken stock(use vegetable stock if making vegetarian version)
4-6 cups of fresh kale(or spinach if you prefer), chopped(it looks like a lot but it will wilt down quite a bit)
1 cup small pasta(I use Barilla ditalini)
2 links of cooked organic italian sausage(again, this can be cut out for the vegetarian recipe)
2-3 cups of hot water(this is optional and can be added if you think the soup is too thick)
The Spices:
2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
*Optional: Add 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper to make the soup spicy
Since there are so many ingredients, my best advice is to do all the prep work before you start the cooking. Pre-measure the spices in a small bowl. Chop all of your vegetables first and they'll be all ready to add when it's time. So here are the directions:
1. Heat up your olive oil in a large soup/stock pot. In the oil, saute your already prepared zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and celery. Add the garlic a minute or so later, as it cooks faster than the other vegetables and can burn quickly.
2. Once the onions are translucent, add your chicken or vegetable stock, beans, carrots, diced tomatoes, and spices. I usually add a cup of water here, then more later if the soup is very thick.
3. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped kale and the pasta. Allow this to simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and let it cool just a little before serving.
Grated parmesan over the top is delicious. We usually eat it with french bread or even just crackers. I hope some of you try this recipe. It's healthy, and it's absolutely wonderful on cold nights! Enjoy :)
-Laura Leigh
