The key parts of this minestrone recipe are: 1. Chop the vegetables into similarly sized pieces,
and 2. Allow the soup two full hours to simmer.
By Kathryn McLean
There is something about January that calls for hot, comforting dishes: macaroni and cheese or baked pasta, casseroles and curries, soups and stews.
If you’re thinking of making soup this season, consider minestrone. Minestrone is an Italian vegetable soup, and although it does take time to chop the vegetables, and the cooking time is lengthy, it is worth it to make your own batch. It’s so much better than what you can buy.
The vegetables you use can vary, as it is with many soups. You can add beans or lentils and small pasta, if you like. The recipe printed below is a recipe, yes, but also a guideline. If you quite like celery, go ahead and add another stalk. Replace the zucchini with chopped mushrooms. Add some spinach or kale if you have it sitting in the fridge.
The key parts of this minestrone are: 1. Chop the vegetables into similarly sized pieces. 2. Allow the soup two full hours to simmer.
I like to eat minestrone with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly grated cheese such as pecorino or parmigiano reggiano. I serve it with crusty bread or even with pizza. Sometimes I add a crisp green salad, too, to fill out the dinner.
Start by peeling and chopping the first couple of vegetables, and get them into the pot with some oil. As they start to cook, cut the next vegetable and add it to the pot. Continue with the next and the next, letting the first items cook as you prepare each one that follows.
Add fresh herbs if you choose, then canned tomato and water. Let your soup cook for two hours.
If you plan to add pasta, I suggest using very small pasta. Cook it separately and add to the soup as you serve it, or when warming up a few portions.
Here are the details for making your own minestrone. This will make around six servings, more if it’s only part of a meal or when you add the optional ingredients.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
1 onion (white or yellow), chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped (optional)
1 handful of green beans, chopped (optional)
1 handful of fresh spinach or kale, chopped (optional)
Fresh herbs, optional (a few leaves of rosemary, or 1-2 Tbsp chopped parsley or tarragon)
1 can tomatoes packed in purée, chopped
1 can white kidney beans or mixed beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium-low heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, then the onion and carrot. Stir. Prepare the next one or two vegetables and add them to the pot. Stir, and continue cutting and adding the vegetables, then herbs.
Chop the tomatoes if they’re whole and add them to the other vegetables along with the purée. Fill the empty can with water and add that, too.
Increase the heat and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and leave a little space uncovered to let some steam out. Simmer for two hours, adding ½ cup water if you think it’s getting too thick. Keep in mind that this is meant to be a thick soup, not brothy.
Enjoy it with any or all of these: a drizzle of olive oil, a grating of cheese, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, or a few large crispy croutons.