Minestrone
A delicious and traditional Italian vegetable soup
Ingredients
- 2 carrots
- ⅓ lb cauliflower 150 g
- 1 onion large
- ½ lb pinto beans 200 g, or use any dried beans
- 2 potatoes
- ½ lb green peas 200 g
- ¾ lb tomatoes 300 g
- ⅓ lb leek 150 g
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ lbs pumpkin 200 g
- 2 zucchinis medium-sized
- 40 g bacon sliced, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 basil leaves fresh
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt
- pepper
- Parmesan rind
Instructions
- Soak dried beans the night before and pre-cook them before adding them to your minestrone. If you use canned beans, you can skip this step.
- Cut the potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin, and zucchini into ½-inch cubes, slice the leek in half lengthwise, then slice it into thin rings, and cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Finely chop the carrots, celery, and garlic in a food processor, or grate them.
- Sauté your carrot-celery-garlic purée in a pot with the oil over medium heat. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the bacon and continue to sauté for 2–3 minutes.
- Add all the chopped vegetables, green peas and beans.
- Pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables, then add the Parmesan rind (optional) and salt to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 50 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Before serving, add the chopped parsley and basil, plus a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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