Author: Dragonfly Home Recipes (Page 30 of 32)

Recipe for Minestrone Soup

May 19, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

Minestrone

Servings: 6
Time: 1hr 10 mins
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

May 16, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

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.

Lilacs

May 15, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

Our lilac bushes are now in full bloom. These are perhaps my favorite spring flower. They hold so many good memories for me. The most potent lilac memories come from Sackets Harbor, New York. We had several huge lilac bushes outside of our apartment building there, and a dear friend who lived below me shared my love of lilacs. Winters were really long and hard in Sackets Harbor, so when the lilacs finally bloomed, it was a celebration. My friend and I kept fresh, deliciously scented bunches in our apartments as long as the lilacs were flowering. Our husbands were often gone on deployments with the army, so the simple pleasures like lilacs would cheer us up. I also remember that the stiff winds coming off of Lake Ontario would blow the magical scent into our windows. That was a special place, and I’m sure I will write more about it in later posts. For now, here is a photo of some lilacs I brought in from our lovely yard.