Recipes, Photography, Musings

Month: May 2014 (Page 3 of 5)

Recipe for Minestrone Soup

Minestrone

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium-size onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove,  crushed
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 7-1/2 cups chicken broth (I have also used half broth and half water for this)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (14-oz.) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 oz. pasta (any kind will work)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsely
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

 

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook onion and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery, broth (or mixture of broth and water, if using), tomato paste and drained beans and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir in cabbage and pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 more minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in parsley. Garnish with cheese. Serve with rustic bread or crackers and cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe for Minestrone Soup

Minestrone

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium-size onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove,  crushed
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 7-1/2 cups chicken broth (I have also used half broth and half water for this)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (14-oz.) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 oz. pasta (any kind will work)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsely
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

 

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook onion and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery, broth (or mixture of broth and water, if using), tomato paste and drained beans and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir in cabbage and pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 more minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in parsley. Garnish with cheese. Serve with rustic bread or crackers and cheese. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

Although it is the middle of May, it was cold and rainy yesterday. Minestrone soup is not something I would usually gravitate toward in May, but on a cold, wet night, it sounded good. My family appreciated it too. There are countless versions of minestrone soup. I love this version, with chopped cabbage and fresh parsley on the top to garnish. The cabbage and parsley give the soup a little brightness, which seems fitting for spring, even when the weather does not feel like spring, or especially when the weather does not feel like spring. The key is to not overcook the vegetables, but to cook them just enough, so they are tender-crisp. I try to use organic vegetables whenever possible, and in-season vegetables whenever possible. Sometimes it is not possible or practical. Sometimes a little comfort food in the middle of May is just the thing we need.  Below are photos of the chopped cabbage (I find it to be a beautiful vegetable, like most vegetables) and the finished product, a bowl of minestrone soup.

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