Sunday Soup: Making Minestrone

Welcome to Sunday Soup. This week's special is minestrone.

Minestrone is simply an Italian vegetable soup which often includes pasta. My minestrone is never exactly the same each time; that’s a good thing.  What I’ve posted below are guidelines, recommendations. Use seasonal ingredients and leftovers. Be creative and have fun.

When we camp at TTITD, I make a version we call Playastrone, with canned veggies and beans instead of fresh veggies and pasta. When the smell wafts and unexpected guests drop by, I may ask if they have anything to contribute to the soup to stretch it. Canned corn, black beans...all gifts go in the pot. No one leaves hungry.

Both recipes serve 8 - 10 people.

Basic Minestrone 
Ingredients

• Greens: 1-2 bunches. I like kale and beet greens. Chard works, too. Spinach, meh – something about the metallic aftertaste I don’t care for in my soup.
• Mirepoix: about 1 1/2 c. chopped. equal amounts of red onion, carrots, celery. Red bell pepper too, if it’s available.
• Other veggies: roughly 4 cups chopped: wild or cremini mushrooms, green beans, a generous amount of fresh tomatoes (Roma or grape are my faves for this -- don't skip the tomatoes!), garlic, zucchini. If they're in season: fava beans, fresh garbanzo beans, green garlic, green tomatoes (they are mild and sweet, try it and see).
• Meat is optional, but we like it: leftover chicken or beef, or Italian sausage (precooked before adding to the pot)
• Fresh Italian herbs (or dried herbs if you don't have fresh): parsley, basil, rosemary, lemon thyme. about 1/4 - 1/3 chopped/fresh, about 2-3 T/dried. Use a light hand and taste as the soup brews. You can add but you can't take away.
• A starch component: tortellini or beans (garbanzo, cannellini, kidney are good; lima beans or black-eyed peas are not). or leftover potatoes. or diced winter squash. or all of the above.
• Broth: 8 cups for a big stock pot of soup.
• My secret ingredient: lemon or orange zest. Don't get crazy with this. Only use enough to "freshen" the broth.

Directions

1. Chop everything into bite-sized pieces. Lightly sauté the mirepoix in olive oil until they start to soften. Then add the garlic & tomatoes and stir a minute more. Burned garlic = bad.
2. Now add the other raw veggies, herbs, meat, and broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Veggies should be cooked enough, not to death.
3. Pile the leafy greens on top and simmer with the lid on the pot. Check periodically. Soup should be ready to serve in 5-10 more minutes.
4. What you do next depends on your starch component.
• If I have tortellini on hand (I do today), I’ll cook the pasta separately. I hate over-cooked pasta and it tends to absorb the broth if you store leftovers in the fridge overnight. Just ladle the soup over the pasta before serving. 
• If I don’t have or want pasta in the soup, I’ll add a can of beans to the pot. Or I’ll dice up a leftover baked potato or kabocha or butternut squash.  Or all of the above. Just don’t use yams or sweet potatoes please.
5. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper, and top with parmesan and fresh chopped Italian parsley.

Playastrone
Ingredients

• 2-3 diced red onions
• 2 diced green peppers
• 4 diced carrots
• 4 diced celery sticks
• 6 c. broth
• 28 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can each kidney, garbanzos, green beans
• 2-3 cans chicken
• 2 T. dried parsley
• 2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. lemon pepper
• 1 t. garlic powder

Directions

1. Saute onion, peppers, carrots and celery over med-low heat until soft. 
2. Add broth, beans, chicken and seasoning. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Hint: Dice veggies at home, ziplock and store in the cooler.