Minestrone (pronounced min-NESS-throw-nay) is a hearty Italian Soup made with vegetables, beans and pasta (or rice). There is no set recipe for this soup but the basic recipe has vegetables (and/or meat), vegetables in season and different types of beans. I have used the vegetables I had at hand with a combination of black-eyed beans and garbanzo beans. It calls for a very simple preparation with a variety of flavoring. This makes a whole meal in itself and we enjoyed it for Saturday night dinner to keep ourselves warm when it was snowing outside. Yes it was snowing in October here!!
Ingredients:
Serves - 4-5
Vegetables:
Onion - Chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves - chopped fine
Carrots - 2 - cubed - 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Potato - 1 small - cubed - 1/2 cup
Baby Spinach - 1/2 cup - packed tightly
Tomato - 1 - cubed
For flavoring:
Vegetable Stock - 4 cups (I used 2 Knorr Bouillon cubes with 4 cups of water)
Red pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
For the texture:
Pasta - any short cut variety - 1/2 cup (I used Mini Penne)
Blackeye peas / Cowpeas - cooked - 1 cup
Garbanzo beans / White Sundal - cooked - 1 cup
Method:
Heat butter and olive oil in a wide saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until it is transparent. Add cauliflower, carrot and potatoes in the said order frying for 2 mins after each addition. Add baby spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the red pepper flakes, pepper, beans and the vegetable stock. Check for salt and add if needed, note that the stock would already contain salt. Add the tomatoes and cook covered until it boils. Add the pasta and cook in medium heat until the pasta is cooked and soft. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve hot with your favorite bread.
Note: You can add any vegetables of your choice. Feel free to add seasonal vegetables. Red kidney beans is also an excellent addition. I mashed about a tablespoon of cooked garbanzo beans and cowpeas and added it to the soup for thickness. I used canned beans.
Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salads Mela and to Radhika's Winter Carnival.
Ingredients:
Serves - 4-5
Vegetables:
Onion - Chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves - chopped fine
Carrots - 2 - cubed - 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Potato - 1 small - cubed - 1/2 cup
Baby Spinach - 1/2 cup - packed tightly
Tomato - 1 - cubed
For flavoring:
Vegetable Stock - 4 cups (I used 2 Knorr Bouillon cubes with 4 cups of water)
Red pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
For the texture:
Pasta - any short cut variety - 1/2 cup (I used Mini Penne)
Blackeye peas / Cowpeas - cooked - 1 cup
Garbanzo beans / White Sundal - cooked - 1 cup
Method:
Heat butter and olive oil in a wide saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until it is transparent. Add cauliflower, carrot and potatoes in the said order frying for 2 mins after each addition. Add baby spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the red pepper flakes, pepper, beans and the vegetable stock. Check for salt and add if needed, note that the stock would already contain salt. Add the tomatoes and cook covered until it boils. Add the pasta and cook in medium heat until the pasta is cooked and soft. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve hot with your favorite bread.
Note: You can add any vegetables of your choice. Feel free to add seasonal vegetables. Red kidney beans is also an excellent addition. I mashed about a tablespoon of cooked garbanzo beans and cowpeas and added it to the soup for thickness. I used canned beans.
Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salads Mela and to Radhika's Winter Carnival.
My favorite soup Krithi .. filling and tasty.
ReplyDeletewow...the soup looks so yummy..really a hearty n filling soup.
ReplyDeleteHey with these pics I am tempted to try this out. Delicious soup
ReplyDeleteHosting an event which I am calling Back to our Roots Also hosting for Nov’11 Veggie Food for the Month_Raw Banana. Please do send me your entries.
Nice....tempting........colourful soup......
ReplyDeleteHealthy and comforting soup
ReplyDeleteReal yummy n delicious soup!!!
ReplyDeleteLuv this soup so much...Suits the weather.
ReplyDeleteVery nice recipe.. thanks for sharing dear.. beautiful clicks too !!
ReplyDeleteIndian Cuisine
OMG! am drooling dear....very inviting and perfect for this winter rainy day!
ReplyDeleteHerbs and Flowers - "Parsley" - Till Nov 15th
LGSS -"Tomato" - Nov 5th to Dec 5th
100 Friends/Followers & GIVEAWAY
Healthy and yummy soup...I love it
ReplyDeleteShema George www.lifescoops.blogspot.com
Vowww!!soup looks grt...healthy n real yumm!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy mouth is just watering looking at this soup.
ReplyDeleteA yummy healthy soup....
ReplyDeleteohhh.love this. Am bookmarking this one krithi. Till now I haven't tried many soup recipes.
ReplyDeleteMy fav soup.. esp the one from olive garden. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI love minestrones and it is sure a winter warmer. looks fabulous
ReplyDeleteLuk fabulously delicious Dear.Very inviting clicks.Luv it
ReplyDeleteHeart and comforting soup, perfect for the fall!
ReplyDeletevery delicious n filling soup..
ReplyDeleteDelicious and filling soup ...
ReplyDeletelooks colourful and healthy too
ReplyDeleteWhat a Warm Welcome for this Winter... I love Minestrone, I am loving it more, as it is Homemade..
ReplyDelete-Mythreyi
Yum! Yum! Yum!
Super filling and comforting satisfying soup,lovely bowl.
ReplyDeleteheart, filling soup..And thx fot the tip on pronouncing it too..Always wondered how to say it out!!
ReplyDeletePrathima Rao
Prats Corner
Hearty and filling soup. Thanks for linking it to the event Krithi.
ReplyDeletemy fav soup, i always order when i go to pizza hut.never tried at home though. nicely done
ReplyDeletewarm and cosy soup..weather here is getting cold this is just what i need..
ReplyDeleteI'm a die hard fan of this soup and U made it perfect to the core
ReplyDeleteSuch a filling and comforting soup by itself makes a complete meal!
ReplyDeleteSoups yup!, perfect recipe for this time of the year!, such a comforting one.. with a bread to accompany its a one pot meal
ReplyDeleteThat looks like one hearty bowl of soup.. right in time for this dreary cold weather!
ReplyDeleteRicha @ Hobby And More Food Blog
Love this soup! It's a meal by itself.
ReplyDeletehearty platter- my hubby's fav
ReplyDeleteA soup is a perfect meal during winter season. With so many different variety of vegetables and pasta .. it would surely taste delicious.
ReplyDeletea perfect bowl of soup to make me feel warm tru cozy nights:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!! Whatta recipe. So healthy and grand
ReplyDeleteI want soup everyday eversince the winter has started. This one looks so fresh and comforting :)
ReplyDeleteTes
http://tesathome.com
Hearty soup at its best. Perfect for this season.
ReplyDeleteMinestrone, always enjoy ordering it. Definitely great for Fall.
ReplyDeleteVery yummy,colourful and healthy soup.
ReplyDeleteSo comforting and delicious!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Healthy and delicious soup for this cold weather.A wonderful award is waiting for you,check out my space.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my fav soup:-) Loved the combo of veggies u chose:-)
ReplyDeleteCan have soup any time, any day. Nice colors going on there.
ReplyDeleteVery nice blog! I am sending you an award which on my blog! Pls collect it form the blog @ http://sweetkaramkapi.blogspot.com/2011/11/badhusha.html
ReplyDeletelooks soo good ! and do link to my GFF event if possible !
ReplyDeleteKalyani
200th Post & Giveaway
R u Ready to join the Magic Mingle?
Thanks for all the lovely entries Krithi..
ReplyDelete