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Minestrone

Karen and Greg

From The Australian Women’s Weekly Italian Cooking Class Cookbook

This is a winter favourite. It’s a meal in itself and there’s always enough left over for at least one more meal, which gives it another star in my books. Again, it’s a versatile recipe that can be varied according to taste and what’s in the fridge.

  • 2–4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 sticks of celery (string and slice)
  • 1 sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 head of broccoli, chopped
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped
  • 1 red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 cup of mushrooms, quartered
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 5 cups of water
  • 3 beef cubes
  • 2 x 400 gm cans peeled whole tomatoes
  • 310 gm can cannellini beans (even Greg
  • tolerates their presence in this recipe)
  • (I generally replace the beef cubes and
  • water with homemade chicken stock)
  • Optionals
  • I tablespoon of Markwort’s honey
  • (this seems to give a richer taste)
  • 6 grilled sausages, cut into rounds
mountain

Prepare the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the crushed garlic and onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are a pale golden brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Repeat this process with the sweet potatoes, capsicum, broccoli and remaining vegetables. Add the stock and the undrained mashed tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. If adding the optionals, grill the sausages while the soup is simmering. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, sausages and honey.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

SOUPS

1999