Minestrone



My latest new recipe is a minestrone that originally came from my Taste of Home Cookbook.  I used to pour over ToH magazines looking for new and interesting recipes.  I still have them… though I don’t really know why because I’m sure all the things I’d like are on the internet now! 

This turned out really good, and it is packed with vegetables and flavor.  Perfect for the kind of November weather we’ve been having here lately.  (It’s currently grey, spitting and ugly snow and is VERY cold!)

The original recipe can be found here.


Here is what I did to change it up. My changes are in red

·         2 cups coarsely chopped onions  (about 2-3 white onions)
·         1 cup sliced celery (about 2-3 stalks)
·         1/4 cup minced fresh parsley  (I didn’t use parsley… didn’t have any)
·         1/4 cup canola oil  ( a few times around the pot)
·         2 garlic cloves, minced (Um I always add more garlic!)
·         5 cups beef broth (I actually only had 4 cups, so I added a cup of water)
·         2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (I did not drain the tomatoes)
·         1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce (I used a 25 oz jar of spaghetti sauce)
·         2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (a small cabbage)
·         1 cup sliced fresh carrots (3-4 carrots)
·         2 teaspoons dried basil or Italian seasoning (used dried basil from my garden!)
·         1/2 teaspoon salt
·         1/4 teaspoon pepper
·         1-1/2 pounds ground beef
·         1-1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2)
·         1 cup cut fresh green beans (I used a small bag of frozen green beans, let them thaw while the rest is cooking!)
·         1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
·         1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
·         1 cup uncooked ditalini or 4 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces (I used macaroni pasta)
·         1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I actually did not use any… though next time I might!)




In a stockpot, sauté the onions, celery and garlic in oil until tender (a couple of minutes) Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.


After it has been simmering for an hour, in a separate skillet, cook beef through; drain. Stir into soup along with the zucchini, beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes more, or until vegetables and pasta are tender. 

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