Minestrone Soup

We just had a couple of cold spells here so it was time for some much needed comfort food.  Minestrone soup came to mind for sure.  This was a dish I grew up on.  It is super inexpensive, makes a huge pot and feeds a ton!  So coming from a family of 10 this was a staple in our home.  I don't think I appreciated how amazing this dish was at the time.  As a kid, we just eat food and then go aobut our day, playing capture the enemies flag, cops and robbers, or just good ol' dirt puddle chasing.  Come on...... you remember those days.  Our kids don't however because they are to into all those electronic devices so they don't know those games we played as kids.

So, I have made this dish before but didn't use my moms recipe.  I still didn't even use it completely on this recipe either, however I did touch basis with my mom to make sure I was hitting all the right ingredients.

It's funny how you put simple ingredients together like celery, onion, carrots, add chicken stock, chicken, few seasonings and BAM.... you get Chicken noodle soup.  Same here, you add onion, celery, carrots, other veggies, veggie stock, few seasonings and BAM ...... you get Minestrone soup.

This is the basic ingredients for your soup!  Most of you have these laying around.  Use them!

Here is your mirepoix, the start of most soups.

OMG, is that meat in that pot?  Yes, yes it is!  Yep, I add meat sometimes, this is how my mom did it and this is how I think you make minestrone soup more of meal by adding meat.

I love using my canned tomatoes!  They are the best.  Can't wait to can more this year!

I totally forgot to get a full pot of soup after it was done!  I made it for a reason.  It was cold, I had to teach all night so I wanted dinner ready for everyone when they got home.  Well, I took longer than I thought teaching so when I got home I nearly passed out and just served up a bowl!

Dinna.......

Ahhhhhhhh...... this was so good, I had it three days in a row!

Before I go into the recipe just know that recipe is real basic, can be altered to other veggie ingredients, and you still get the minestrone flavor you are after.  So make any changes you need to use the stuff you have on hand or go buy what you need!  =]

Recipe:

1/2 - 1 lb hamburger meat

1 sweet white onion

3 garlic cloves

1 large can (24 oz) whole/diced/pureed tomatoes

1-2 potatoes (I used 1 small to med)

3-4 celery stalks

3 large carrots

1 zucchini

fresh parsley

1 can cut green beand drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans (or any kind you like) drained and rinsed

1/4-1/2 c pasta of some sort ( I used shells cause thats what I had)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

3 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 c water

1 quart veggie/chicken/beef broth (I used veggie but my mom always did beef)

1 c cabbage optional (I did not add any)

1. heat large pot or dutch oven (I used a dutch oven pot) on stove med heat, drizzle good amount of olive oil, add your mirepoix (onion, celery, carrots), butter, and season with salt and pepper (about a pinch or two unless you use a grinder like I do then about 3 cracks of salt and pepper).  Let cook for about 5-7 min.

2. Push veggies off to the side and add meat (if you are not adding meat skip this step, unless you are adding a meat substitute, add it now), plus your garlic, and season with some salt and pepper.

3. After meat is mostly cooked (about 5 min) add your potato and let cook for several more min.  Again season with more salt and pepper.

4. Then add liquids and the rest of your veggies, beans, seasonings, can or jar of tomatoes (mine were home canned).

5. Stir everything together, let come to a boil, taste test to see if you need anymore salt and pepper.  After you get the taste where you like it add pasta and fresh parsley.  You can keep the pot on your stove top on simmer for 3-6 hours if needed (stir often) or move to your oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.  (I moved mine to the oven because no one would be home to stir it and it was in there for about 4 hours while I taught classes.)  

Tip: if you can wait to add your parsley right before you serve you should.  If not no worries.  You will want to add more seasonings into your soup thinking it needs more!  Don't.  Let the soup take time to meld together and all the flavors come together to work!  I promise.  

Dice all your veggies first!  I like mine all uniform so I take some time to chop these all first.  I DO NOT recommend any kind of frozen veggies here.  You will taste the difference and they are too mushy!  Go fresh please or don't make it, just buy a canned version.  Yuck.

I also did not add Kidney beans to mine this time but I usually do, the taste was still spot on.  I don't always like to add such heavy ingredients like potato, pasta and beans especially if you serve with bread or grilled cheese.  Too much starchy carbs for this girl.  So, pick and choose what you want to add.  If you want it all add it all!  =]

PALEO: Do not add a regular potato use a white sweet potato instead.  Do not add beans or pasta or use a paleo friendly pasta.  I would not add pasta but add mushrooms instead.

VEGETARIAN: Do not add meat but use a meat substitute of your choice and/or add mushrooms and tofu.  However grill the tofu first and add towards the last hour before you serve it.

VEGAN:  No meat, use Vegan friendly pasta or no pasta, fill with more veggies.

DAIRY FREE

GLUTEN FREE: use gluten free pasta