By: Francesca Montillo, ISDA Food + Travel Writer
Is your resolution to cook more at home in 2021? I don’t blame you.
Cooking at home is comforting, healthy and doesn’t need to take hours on end.
If you have read any of my previous recipes, you know my philosophy to cooking is simple, straightforward and the use of everyday ingredients.
Who has time or inclination to head to the grocery story for one-off ingredients that you will never use again except for that one recipe? No thanks!
It’s winter, so what could be more comforting than soup? It’s easy, economical and warms both stomach and soul. An Italian favorite is minestrone. The word minestra in English loosely translates to soup, so it encompasses all types of soups. Minestrone is the vegetable type of soup that is thick and healthy.
There is no exact recipe for this vegetable soup and you’re free to use any vegetable or legume you like. This recipe below is my standard “go-to” variation, but you should feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand, and mix it up as you like. Cooking the pasta directly in the soup adds thickness otherwise missing if you cook the pasta separately.
To add even more flavor to this soup, try adding a tablespoon of fresh pesto or a frozen pesto cube to change the flavor profile and give this a kick of basil flavor.
Minestrone with Miniature Farfalle
Serves 4 – 6
Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 30 minutes or less
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil + extra for drizzling
1 small onion, diced
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1½ teaspoons salt
1 vegetarian bullion cube
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into ¼ inch dices
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen Italian green beans
8 oz small miniature farfalle, or other small cut pasta such as shells or ditalini
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh spinach
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot set to medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsley, diced tomatoes and salt and stir until everything becomes fragrant and onion is translucent, about 3 – 4 minutes.
- Add 6 – 7 cups of cold water; partially cover the pot, leaving some room for the steam to escape. Bring everything to a full boil. Add the bullion cube, potatoes, green beans and cook for 10 minutes semi-covered.
- Add the pasta and continue cooking until the farfalle are al dente, about 7 – 8 minutes. During the last 2 – 3 minutes, add the spinach. Plate and top with grated cheese and an additional drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately while hot.
