London, 14th February 2013 – I prefer to use seasonal vegetables to cook Minestrone which is a simple soup full of natural flavors. The only vegetables that have survived the winter frost in my allotment are spinach, leeks and Brussels sprouts. I added a few other vegetables in season such as savoy cabbage and prepared my Minestrone.
As for the Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans) recipe, there are many versions of this classic Italian recipe. Many people use pancetta to enhance the flavours of the vegetables and add pasta, but I prefer only using vegetables to enjoy their natural flavours. We ate the soup with chunky vegetable pieces and topped with a lot of Parmesan and Pecorino cheese. It was a hearty meal: ‘delicious and very healthy ‘ commented my husband.
The next day for lunch I blended the leftover minestrone and made a quick pesto. For the pesto, I chopped roughly basil, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, parmesan and pecorino and mixed with extra virgin olive oil; then I added the fresh pesto on top of the blended Minestrone.
The blended Minestrone combines the vegetable flavours beautifully and creates a smooth, velvety soup. The strong flavour of the pesto added an extra dimension. Both versions, chunky and blended, are delicious in different ways.
I’m entering this recipe into the February Simple and in Season which is organised by Ren Behan from Fabulicious Food and this month is hosted by Caroline at Cake, Crumbs and Cooking.
RECIPE WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES
MINESTRONE
(Vegetable Soup)
SERVES 4, PREP 20 MINUTES, COOK 35 MINUTES
Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cm thick
- 100 g carrot, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cm thick
- 100 g celery, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cm thick
- 100 g leek, peeled and cut into chunks 2 cm thick
- 100 g savoy cabbage, cut into 2 cm pieces
- baby plum tomatoes, halved
- 50 g spinach, small, young leaves
- 50 g Brussels sprouts, individual leaves pulled off
- 100 g green peas (I used frozen garden peas)
- 250 g borlotti beans (I used canned borlotti beans)
- 1Lt vegetable stock
- Sea salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- parmesan, pecorino and a dash of top quality extra virgin olive oil for serving.
Method:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add onion. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the vegetables except peas, mix well and stir fry over a medium high heat for 2 – 3 minutes.
Add the stock, peas, baby plum tomatoes, and season with salt. Cover and bring to the boil (10 minutes circa).
Add the borlotti beans and then simmer uncovered over a medium high heat for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but still firm to the bite (al dente).
Serve Minestrone sprinkled with plenty of Parmesan, Pecorino and black pepper and drizzled with a dash of very good extra virgin olive oil.
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I just love this soup, it is the colours that look so beautiful and the flavours too I know will taste delicious. This is great in every season, adapting it according to what veggies you ave a glut of. My children love it too!
I’m looking forward to the summer vegetable, dear Laura! The plot is ready, the seeds are ready…We just need the sun!
Wow Rita,
Your soup looks so inviting! It’s raining here as I am typing and what could be better than this warm and comforting soup! LOVE IT!!!
Hot minestrone soup is nice during the winter and the cold version is perfect during the summer (…Italian Summer!!).
That looks delicious Rita, and a perfect way to showcase all of the beautiful veggie that are in season now. I love the way that minestrone is so versatile and your version looks beautiful. I like the idea of blending the leftovers to change it up too. Thanks for entering this into simple and in season.
Thank you, Caroline! I try to eat as much as possible veggie in season and the Minestrone is the perfect recipe to use all the vegetables available and create new exciting version of the same simple dish.
I read this post while I was having the worst flu and my life and could not eat anything… gee did I long for this soup when i saw your pictures! I thought “this is the only thing I could really enjoy right now if only I had someone to shop and cook it for me!”. now I am well again and this very minestrone is on my to-do list
I hope that you feel much better now!!! A soup is always a great comfort when you do not feel well…but you need to find someone to prepare it for you!
I love minestrone, this looks lovely. Great use of cabbage!
I need to use all the cabbage in the allotment! Cabbage in my omelette, cabbage in my pasta sauces and in my….MINESTRONE!
Rita, what a clever idea to use seasonal vegetables for this soup! I made minestrone soup last night and used kale, leek, and other vegetables. I was a bit conserned about kale, but it came out very good.
I love Kale! I’m sure that it was delicious.
I love minestrone – it is one of my favorites and really very versatile. This looks quite amazing!
It is very versatile! During the summer I like to add courgette.
I have only just fallen asleep now love with beans and with the Parmesan I’m sure this soup is extremely delicious
Delicious and healthy, my dear Tandy! Borlotti beans are quite tasty.
It has been a really long while since I last had a good minestrone. This looks irresistible!
Thank you Angie! Minestrone is my favourite low calorie one dish meal but it’s more inviting if it looks good.
Io mangerei miniestrone ogni giorno. Ma cosa potrebbe esserci di piu’ sano e delizioso di un buon minestrone? Poi ti senti sazio e nutrito, un pieno di bonta’! L’anno scorso mi sono portata i fagioli freschi dall’Italia e li ho surgelati. Adesso uso quelli secchi e li ammollo per evitare di portare troppo peso in valigia. Mi piace questo piatto fatto in tutti i modi possibili. Ciao carissima!
ah i fagioli freschi… ho in mente l’imagine delle aziane abruzzesi nel piccolo villaggio dove e’ nato mio padre che sgranano i fagioli e li lasciano al sole ad asciugare!! Certo a portali in valigia non ci avevo mai pensato! Forse potrei provare a farli crescere nell’orto. Sono cosi’ felice che finalmente sta arrivando la stagione della semina e ho mille idee e semi che vorrei coltivare!!!
Good to see that some of your veg. escaped the Winter frost Rita! Love home made Minestrone soup and your version makes it truly authentic! Perfect for Winter.
Thank you Jacqueline, I am looking forward to spring!!
Sei fantastica come sempre
Grazie bellissima! Ma quanto minestrone dovro’ mangiare per entrare di nuovo nel bikini?? LOL
Ryan and I were just talking about how good minestrone soup sounded! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you had a fabulous week, and I hope your weekend brims with good food, laughter, and love.
Thank you Monet! I hope that your weekend is good too!!
This looks beautiful. Soup is a regular on our menu but I very rarely make minestrone. When I have I’ve always added pasta, I have to admit that I hadn’t realised that it didn’t have to contain it. One to add to my list I think!
I use pasta too! But if I want to have a good bowl of vegetables I do not add pasta and enjoy my greens.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful bowl of Minestrone before. It looks so vibrant and delicious I can imagine it being a real energy booster.
It is a real energy booster, dear Choclette! I like to combine colour and flavours together!
Healthy indeed, and so satisfying. And it is versatile too. I enjoy the pure vegetable taste. I always enjoy your posts, and I am so glad to have found your site. We can thank Chiara for that!
Thank you Adri, I try to post recipes of dishes that I like to eat. Minestrone is the guilt free recipe! I agree with you: it’s great to meet new and interesting people online and be able to share what you like with others.
hello Rita
this looks delicious! I wish I had some or lunch today. I love the colors. Minestrone is one of my favorite soups!
You are right Petra! Minestrone has many lovely colours…it is an easy soup!
the title says it all! i wish i had all those veggies right now so i could prepare this
I prepare Minestrone with the vegetables in season so please feel free to use the vegetables that YOU have (potatoes, peas and borlotti beans are the basic ingredients!)
I love minestrone, thanks for sharing your recipe for this delicious and comforting soup.
this is the perfect way to eat something healthy and get your body back in shape!
Un bellissimo, coloratissimo, buonissimo e sano minestrone, brava!!!
Posso darti un consiglio? 15 minuti prima della fine della cottura io inserisco delle croste di formaggio Grana o Parmigiano, danno molto sapore e sono buonissime da mangiare diventano morbide come chewingum, prima di metterle le raschio con il coltello e le lavo.
Baci
Grazie Carla! Un minestrone caldo e pieno di cose buone ci vuole! Riguardo le croste…me le sono DIMENTICATE! Grazie ancora per avermerlo ricordato, sono sicura che le croste danno al brodo quel tocco in piu’, anche la mia mamma lo fa sempre! Ciao
Hi Rita! I can finally leave a comment on your blog again – I’ve been having problems for months, I don’t know why. I’ve often tried – I love your recipes!
Anyway, this looks amazing, the colours are still so vibrant. I love ‘real’ minestrone but prefer someone (mio suocero preferibilmente!) to make it for me because I’m usually too lazy to prepare all the vegetables!
Oh, I am sorry that you had problems with my site. I even pay a WEB HOST PROVIDER! I will ask them about this.
It is tedious to prepare the vegetables…the veggies from the allotment are also full of soil and sometimes a few little ‘friends’ like mini slugs! It’s nice to have someone to make it for you (magari mio suocero fosse qui, anche a lui piace fare questo genere di cose!!).
Looks delicious Rita. Sounds as if you have the same sort of veg left on your allotment as I do in the garden, having to rely on local farmshops a bit now. But the sun today is getting me excited about all that Spring planting. Do you ever add parmesan rinds or do you keep your version nicely simple?
I feel happy too! The sun melted the snow and I can see my plot again!! I keep the potatoes starter inside our ‘cold room’ (there is not radiator yet!!) and wait until the temperature will be over 8 degree (??)…. I did not use the Parmesan rind because I FORGOT! I even have some rind in my fridge!!! I usually grate my Parmesan piece as much as I can and keep the rind for soups…next time I will!! Ciao
Amo il minestrone.. quando lo facciamo abbondiamo così da surgelarlo ed averlo per quando nhe abbiamo voglia!! Ottimo il tuo con tutte quelle belle verdure.. anche cavolini di Bruxelles!!!! bacioni cara
Hai proprio ragione Cara Claudia a surgelarlo, la ricetta e’ piuttosto semplice ma pulire tutte le verdure e tagliale piu’ meno della stessa misura e’ un lavoro noioso per cui e’ meglio farne una grossa porzione e sugelarlo per quando se ne ha voglia!!