Minestrone Soup
Course: Blog, Soup, MinestroneCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Beginner1
Bowl45
minutes1
hour180
kcalLiving in Melbourne a cool change in the weather is never too far away so we can enjoy this soup almost all year. I love this veggie packed soup after an indulgent weekend. Keep some portions in the freezer it reheats really well. This version is meat free but you can add meat, sausage, meat stock or ground cured meats too. I do not add any pasta or rice, that’s my preference. Fresh borlotti beans were in season at the time I made this soup. Leave them out for a keto friendly vegetable soup.
Minestrone is a cost of living buster it’s awesome because you can use up whatever you have left in the vegetable crisper
Ingredients
Extra virgin Olive Oil
4 clove Garlic
1 Onion
3 stick Celery
2 Carrot large
1 Fennel,
1 Parsnip large
Celeriac half large
1 Cauliflower small whole (grated)
2 Zucchini large deseeded
2 Broccoli head (grated)
100g Peas fresh shelled
1 Silverbeet bunch
Butternut squash small half
1 Sweet potato medium2 litre Vegetable or Chicken Stock or water
425g Tomato sugo / passata100g Borlotti Beans (pre cooked and frozen)
50g Parmesan rinds
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Warm EVO and add garlic. Infuse slowly don’t let it get too hot
- Add the onion and celery. Turn the heat up. Put the lid on keeping in the steam and any liquid . Allow to sweat and steam stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so it does not stick or burn. It’s ok to add a little water if ingredients are catching on the bottom. When softened then add the carrots, stir and put the lid on continue to sweat for 5 mins.
- Add the woody veg. Parsnip, celeriac, fennel. Stir, lid on sweat for 5 mins. Then add the sweet potato then the butternut squash, stir and put lid back on then sweat for 5 mins.
- All the veg should be soft but not completely cooked by now. This will help the veg retain their shape in the soup. Add the stock and the tomato sugo / passata. Bring to the boil and simmer. Add the parmesan rinds (if you have kept any. This is not necessary, it’s a bonus). Add salt, pepper and grated cauliflower and borlotti beans.
- Lid on and simmer. Remove any foam which may float on top of soup. If you are making vegetarian version the oil on top will be EVO I’m happy to leave it in. If you have added meat for example: chicken, ground cured meats or sausage I’d advise skimming the fat off the top.
- Add your green veg. Grated broccoli, zucchini peas and silverbeet. Lid on allow to simmer on low for 30mins. Turn off. Allow to cool with the lid on.
Recipe Video
Notes
- I believe it’s really important to keep the lid on at the early stages to trap in the steam and any liquid. Imagine you are brewing some tea. Keep all the flavour in the pot. Vegetables have fructose by doing this you will extract any natural sugars which will develop a full flavoured soup.
- Keeping a tight fitting lid on will provide a mini pressure cooker effect. Helping to retain nutrients. Speeds up the cooking time. Enhances flavour. Reduces the need for extra oil or fats. Improves digestibility. Keeping the lid on will assist in the break down some of the fibers and starches in vegetables, potentially making them easier to digest for individuals with sensitive digestive system.
- Parmesan rinds. When you have grated all your parmesan don’t throw away the rind. Put in a zip lock bag and keep in the fridge or freezer
- I like to grate the broccoli. I like the flavour but don’t like the texture of well cooked broccoli. I also like to grate the cauliflower as i like the texture it adds to the soup. Of course the cauliflower will break up but not as well as if grated
- When preparing the ingredients I choose to hand chop everything small because I like to get a little bit of everything on my spoon but you can use a food processor to speed up the prep time.
- Pimp your soup with a little dried porcini mushroom. Add any meat, pasta and extra beans or legumes in winter. Add extra broth and pureed spinach, kale and or basil pesto for a Green Minestrone Genovese is a variation of the classic Italian minestrone soup that originates from the region of Liguria, Italy. I love this one in summer.
