Mangia la minestrone!
In the case of Minestrone, it's a meal that will warm you through with a good dose of vegetables and greens.
Minestrone, literally, means a "big soup". This is one of those soups that does not need a follow up. It barely needs a bread accompaniment. (I am, personally, of the belief that bread has to accompany any soup...and just about any meal...but that's just me.)
There are as many recipes for Minestrone as there are people who make it and times that they make it. (My grandmother's recipe was, "Go to the refrigerator and see what verduras are left over and put them in the pot. If they're aren't enough vegetables there, go out in the yard and see what's out there that looks good today...and don't forget a big tomato on your way back into the the house. Add some water and let it cook.")
Lots of veggies and/or , some tomato sauce and some rice...or pasta...or barley, if that's what you have on hand. It's all good. Mangia!
Minestrone
2 quarts of simmering vegetable broth1/2 cup dried white beans, or a cup of fresh beans
1 packed cup each shredded cabbage, spinach, and beet greens or Dandelion greens
clove of garlic, crushed
A bunch of parsley, a small carrot, a short celery stalk, and a small onion, minced
A zucchini and a potato, diced
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
- If you're using dried, soak them overnight. If you're using fresh or canned beans, you won't have to do anything before you begin cooking.
- Heat the shredded greens in a pot until they wilt. Drain them well then simmer them in the broth with all the veggies.
- When the veggies are almost done (taste a piece of potato; it should be soft but not falling apart), check the seasonings and adjust to your own taste, add the rice, and keep cooking the soup, stirring the pot from time to time.
- If the soup gets too thick, add some boiling water to the pot. You can leave this on the stove, set at a low simmer, all day.
Vegan.
