When the cold days arrive, all we want is some comfort in a bowl. If you try this soup, you will be surprised to see that it doesn’t contain any spices and still it tastes so good. It is quite wholesome and nutritious too. It has got the flavors from tonnes of veggies and some fresh herbs. It is loaded with vegetables, beans, and pasta which makes it quite filling and fulfilling too. It’s a must-try. It is like a warm comfort in a bowl.
STORY TIME
We never tried this soup but one day I was going out to get some groceries to make our favorite Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup. On my way, I met my neighbors. We started talking and I told them that I baked Focaccia bread today which I am going to enjoy with some warm tomato soup. Then they suggested that since Focaccia is an Italian bread, why don’t I try it with some Italian Minestrone Soup. They love this soup and make it quite often.
Then they described the soup that made me tempted. We even started looking at the recipe and the ingredients and I got very excited to try that soup. I had most of the ingredients in my fridge and I actually didn’t need to buy anything for that. See, that’s the beauty of the soup. You can use any seasonal vegetable and whip up a nice warm and filling soup for yourself. It makes a perfect dinner on some cozy winter evenings. I would suggest trying it today with whatever veggies lying in your fridge.
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WHAT IS MINESTRONE SOUP?
Minestrone soup is a simple, thick, and delicious Italian Soup. The beauty of this soup is that there is no set recipe. You can use any seasonal vegetable that you have in your fridge and make it. The main ingredient is Tomatoes. You need a lot of it. Apart from that, it has got some Pasta (or Rice) which makes it a perfect meal and some kind of beans. Beans are a good addition to this soup because it adds a unique flavor and bite to this soup. another main ingredient that enhances the flavor of this soup is – Vegetable Stock or broth. If you are a non-vegetarian, you can use some chicken broth or any other meat broth of your choice. or you can try the simple and easy veggie broth that I make using some vegetable peels.
To summarise, below are the main ingredients for the vegetarian Minestrone Soup:
- Seasonal Vegetables like celery, broccoli, carrot, peas, spinach, zucchini, etc.
- Tomatoes, a lot of it
- Beans like kidney beans, cannellini beans, etc.
- Pasta
- Vegetable Stock
- Herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc.
This soup will make you happy. Nothing quite like it, to warm you up to your core. I even added a good amount of basil leaves because tomato and basil are like best buddies. They perform well when they are together. And the best of all is enjoying this soup with some fresh homemade Focaccia bread. Perfect combination. You don’t even need to toast the bread. Just make it fresh, make soup and you are all set. I bet after having this in chilly winters, you will have a happy mood and a good night’s sleep (if consumed in dinner).
EASY SWAPS
- Use any herb that you have got – fresh or dried. Rosemeary and basil tastes very good. But you can add thyme, oregano or parsley or even dried mixed herb seasoning will do.
- Use any stock that you have. I always prefer some homemade fresh vegetable stock but you can also try with some store-bought stock cubes.
- This soup tastes very nice with a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese but you can use any other cheese that you have like some cheddar cheese. Or you can also skip the cheese altogether. It still tastes delicious.
- You can use any kind of Pasta in this soup recipe. Or even if you are out of pasta, substitute it with some rice instead.
WHY USE BROTH INSTEAD OF WATER?
In this recipe, I suggested using homemade vegetable broth instead of water. Using vegetable broth takes the taste to another level. It makes the soup even tastier. Of course, you can use water also but I feel water just adjusts the consistency of the soup but doesn’t add any depth of flavor.
Making vegetable broth is quite easy too. I make it using all the vegetable peels which I usually discard. But in winter, I keep a bottle of vegetable broth ready at all times because we make soups, Khow suey, Thai curry, and ramen a lot. I always make it using vegetable scraps, even adding some leftover raw vegetables which we couldn’t finish and lying around in the refrigerator. I add spinach leaves too because it makes the broth much better in taste. I add some herbs and seasonings and just let it cook on the lowest flame for an hour or so. You don’t need to do anything, just sit and relax and it will be ready.
So, keep some vegetable broth ready in your refrigerator.
IS THIS RECIPE VEGAN?
Yes. Of course.
Although the traditional recipe is garnished with some grated parmesan cheese. But I don’t add that. It tastes incredibly delicious even without that so you can totally skip that. Apart from that all the ingredients are plant-based.
OTHER RECIPES TO TRY IN WINTERS
Now you are all ready to make this delicious, comforting, nutritious, vegetarian Minestrone soup at home. So, grab all the ingredients, and let’s start cooking. You can also call it Pasta soup. But Minestrone is fancy 🙂
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Happy Cooking 🙂
Love from us
Richa & Jatin
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