Minestrone

12/10/2020/in First Egg Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian /by Eleonora Uccella Easy

To prepare an excellent Minestrone it is essential to choose seasonal vegetables. The more types of vegetables you add, the tastier and tastier your soup will be. Carrots, potatoes and courgettes never fail, but  onion and celery are also good choices. You can add leafy vegetables such as chard and spinach and legumes such as beans (my favorites are of the Borlotti type), peas, green beans, broad beans or chickpeas. In winter you can also add cabbage, black cabbage, broccoli, savoy cabbage or pumpkin, which will give the dish a sweet taste.

For a tastier Minestrone, prepare a mirepoix with celery, onion, and carrot. Saute the mirepoix in a little extra virgin olive oil and then add the other vegetables and water, bringing everything to a boil. Otherwise, for a lower calorie minestrone, cook the vegetables in boiling,  salted water, and then season with raw oil at the end.

If you choose this version, be sure to add very hot water to the sauteed mirepoix when it becomes soft, then add the vegetables and a little coarse sea salt. At this stage add only a little salt, you will add more salt if necessary at the end when the water has reduced and the flavors of the vegetables have mixed.

First add the vegetables that need a longer cooking time such as potatoes and carrots and then the softer ones such as courgettes, spinach leaves, and beets.

If you use dried legumes, these must be added after being soaked for the necessary time. Typically at least 12 hours.

You can also add legumes that have already been cooked, but in this case you have to add them towards the end of the cooking time, otherwise they will turn to mush.

The pot must be large and the water must cover completely cover the vegetables and above  by about 5 cm.

The Minestrone usually cooks for 1 hour and 30 minutes, to 1 h and 45 minutes. In the  first 20 minutes, boil without a lid on medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer covered with a lid.

Taste, and if necessary, add salt. Season with pepper and extra virgin olive oil.

You can then enrich the minestrone with grated Parmesan or toasted bread croutons.

Tip: If you want to enrich the flavor of your minestrone, you can add a teaspoon of homemade pesto (prepared with basil, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and extra virgin olive oil) to each dish just before serving.

This is a real delicacy, especially in the summer!

Ingredients: beans - broccoli - cabbage - carrot - celery - chard - courgette - olive oil - onion - peas - potato - spinach -