Pretty awesome Minestrone.

All right, so I made this a few weeks ago after craving minestrone, and decided to share since it's winter and so many of us are suffering from spring-like temps. Why not a good hot soup?

I found the base of this recipe online and then tweaked it a bit.

Minestrone



Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
3 chopped (or minced) garlic cloves
1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots, sliced
6 c. chicken broth (or veggie)
3 small cans V8 (the size that comes in a 6 pack)
1 can tomato sauce
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 c red wine
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can green beans, drained
1 bag fresh baby spinach
3 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
2 large potatoes, cubed
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces, or to taste
1 6" sprig of fresh rosemary
2-3 bay leaves

**Italian seasoning to taste
**salt and pepper to taste

Pasta of choice: elbow, ditalini, etc

1. In large stockpot, heat olive oil and sauté garlic for a couple of minutes, then add onion and carrots and sauté 4-5 mins.

2. Once the onions is translucent, add chicken broth, V8, tomato sauce and and diced tomatoes, and wine.

3. Bring to a boil, and add everything else. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer minimum 1 hour. I simmered mine for probably 3.

This can be eaten as is, or pasta can be added. I divided mine: in one pot I added some chicken and ditalini, in the other it was purely veggie.

Of course, spices can be tweaked according to taste. I added 1/2 small can of tomato paste but it turned out pretty thick, so add broth/V8 or tomato paste according to desired consistency.

I *almost* added some lima beans.

All in all this turned out AWESOME for my first time with Minestrone.

Enjoy!

Looks really good.

About three weeks ago the wife and I made a big pot of Minestrome soup using bone broth I had gotten from boiling marrow bones for a whole day, about fifteen hours. A good base broth makes all the difference in soup. You can buy organic bone broths from the coops, I have not tried any of that yet. It is quite a bit more expensive, but it has to be better than most of those broths you buy from the store, I do not think that those store broths are even made with real meat and bone. Lots of flavorings in the ingredient list on them. We used to use cheap broths to make minestrome soup until we actually tasted the difference. I buy a half a cow so we get marrow bones. I take most of the stuff to make soups out of.

a reply to: rickymouse

Thanks.

I can only imagine the enhanced flavor of using a fresh meat/bone broth, but since I spontaneously decided to make this, I did what I had to.

The V8 really makes a difference to me, adding both flavor and a lot more vitamins.

And, of course, the fresh herbs.

Your soup looks delicious OP.. nothing like a hearty vegetable type soup for those cold winter days. With some nice cheese and a wonderful bread , it’s a nutritional meal that is easy to clean up after, as well as easy to store or freeze leftovers. Also easy to pack in the thermos for lunches.

Think I’m going to make a hearty vegetable soup tomorrow.. enough to last me a few days.👍🏼

ETA: I realize yours is minestrone with pasta but it’s the hearty veggies that appeal to me.

a reply to: Liquesence

Yum! Looks so tasty.

a reply to: Sheye

Your soup looks delicious OP

Thank you.

Well, the pasta is optional.

Like I said I divided it in half, in one half I put pasta and chicken because the sick person I was bringing it to requested that, but the other I simply ate as a vegetable soup, which I preferred.

My grandmother used to make soup and freeze, too, and that's where I learned using V8. Even though this recipe makes a LOT of soup, I had none left to freeze after a couple of days, lol.

a reply to: Liquesence


Ummm...that beef stew is lacking a major ingredient...


“Where’s the beef”...?






YouSir

What's the "soup de jour?"

"Soup of the day."

"I'll have that."

That looks really tasty. I’m going to try that. Thanks for sharing!

a reply to: YouSir

No, it's impossible beef in there, called taters. lol

But you can, obviously, add whatever you wish.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: rickymouse

Thanks.

I can only imagine the enhanced flavor of using a fresh meat/bone broth, but since I spontaneously decided to make this, I did what I had to.

The V8 really makes a difference to me, adding both flavor and a lot more vitamins.

And, of course, the fresh herbs.

When I make beef soup, I often put a half of one of those small cans into the soup instead of tomatoes. It gives the soup some flavor plus does something with the mixing of the fat and water.

originally posted by: Gandalf77
That looks really tasty. I’m going to try that. Thanks for sharing!

It's quite a bit of prep, but delicious in the end, and makes enough for a few days or to freeze.

a reply to: Liquesence

Looks GREAT!!

Love me some Minestrone!!

I've got a great recipe for some super sonic Minestrone which has salt pork and spaghetti in it. Sounds unconventional, but it's fantastic!

No corn though.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thanks! I think I'm going to make it again soon.

Spaghetti, eh? Interesting, and yes, quite unconventional. Whole spaghetti, or do you break it up? I bet the salt pork adds a lot of flavor, which is what I usually put in collard/turnip greens if I have it. If not, some bacon and country ham.

The original recipe I found did not call for corn or potatoes, I just added them to make it more nutritious as diverse and hearty as possible.

originally posted by: YouSir
a reply to: Liquesence


Ummm...that beef stew is lacking a major ingredient...


“Where’s the beef”...?

YouSir

a reply to: Liquesence

You break it in half (or thirds). It also has parmesan in it (actually in the soup). It's fabulous.

I'll dig up the recipe and post it.

a reply to: YouSir

There's no meat in Ministrone!

Silly Rabbit!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

That's interesting.

I've had chicken noodle soup with, say, egg noodles, but it seems like it would be slightly more laborious to eat a soup with something as thin as spaghetti, especially with a spoon, lol.

Since you mention Parmesan, I think I *did* put some grated Parm (maybe 1/2 c) in the soup itself, but I can't recall.

originally posted by: Homefree
What's the "soup de jour?"

"Soup of the day."

"I'll have that."

Welp, 40 degrees here, snow flurries this morning, so, along with a fire in the fireplace, I made another huge pot of Minestrone while watching The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).