Healthy Winter Veggies Minestrone Recipe

 

Winter Veggies Minestrone Recipe

I remember reading the memoirs of a man who grew up in a traditional Italian home. He told how his mother always had a pot of minestrone going on the back of the stove. In lean years, there were only vegetables in it. When the family prospered, little pieces of meat were added. But his whole childhood, no matter what time of day he came home, there was always a hot bowl of nourishing soup ready for him.

For several years, minestrone was a regular at our farm here, too. Under that loose title, I could toss in whatever vegetables were in season, some home-canned tomatoes, leftover cooked meat, and the children’s current favorite pasta shape. A little Italian seasonings and it was good to go.

However, when Matt had to eliminate nightshades from his diet several months ago, the minestrone pot grew cold. We all missed it. Finally I started doing some research into other soup bases besides tomato. When I tried this one, we were hooked. In fact, everyone here claims it is much tastier than the old tomato-based version.

Whether or not eating tomatoes is a problem for you or not, there are good reasons to try out this soup base.

For one, it is based on root-vegetables. Winter is our favorite time to eat soup, and root vegetables are such a rich source of the nutrients that help maintain our health in the winter months. They store on the shelf without any preparations, and we always have an abundance left from our summer garden. This soup base is our new favorite way to eat them.

Another reason to make this soup is the flavor. Even if you aren’t a fan of root vegetables, you should give them a chance with this soup. The mellow vegetables, roasted garlic, herbs, and cooking wine (optional) give it a rich and comforting flavor.

This recipe is wonderfully flexible. Follow the directions for the base, and then adapt the “fillers” to your family’s taste, what is in season in your garden, or just whatever sounds good today!

Here are the details on how to make this wonderful minestrone, with a quick-reference recipe at the end.


Preparing the Soup


Prepare one whole bulb of garlic for roasting. I recommend you not substitute raw garlic, at least the first time you make it. The roasted garlic adds such a rich flavor that is worth the extra step! While it roasts, prepare the rest of the veggies:

~3 small onions, peeled and sliced

~5-6 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

~About 3 pounds of butternut squash (can substitute with pumpkin, other winter squash, or sweet potato.) Peel, seed, and coarsely chop

~3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped.

~1/2 bell pepper (optional), seeded and coarsely chopped

~Kale or other winter greens (optional), washed and coarsely chopped

Place all the vegetables into a large soup pot. Add 2 quarts broth and 1/2 cup red wine (optional). Season with 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and salt to taste.

Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Puree the Broth


When the veggies are tender, let the mixture cool slightly. Add the cooled roasted garlic to the pot. Remove in batches and puree in a food processor. Or you can use an immersion blender (pictured) and puree it in the pot. I prefer using an immersion blender, but I have to use my deepest pot or it does splatter.

Getting Creative


The soup base is delicious by itself, but you can make it heartier by adding your favorite fillers.

Some of our favorites include:

Cooked pasta

Chopped all-beef hot dogs or kielbasa

Cooked, chopped chicken

Hominy

Cooked White Beans

Sauteed or canned Mushrooms

Chopped Olives

Canned Peas

Canned Corn

What else do you like? Let us know your favorite minestrone ingredients, and thanks for reading!

Healthy Minestrone Recipe (Quick Reference)

Ingredients

1 bulb roasted garlic

3 small onions

3 pounds butternut, other winter squash, or sweet potato

5-6 large carrots

3 stalks celery

1/2 bell pepper (optional)

Kale or other winter greens (optional)

2 quarts chicken, beef or veggie broth

1/2 cup red wine (optional)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

Sea salt to tase

Optional fillers:

Cooked, chopped chicken

Cooked, chopped kielbasa or beef hot dogs

Cooked pasta, any style

Hominy

Canned peas or corn

Canned olives

Canned Mushrooms

Directions

While garlic is roasting, peel and thickly slice the onions. Peel and seed the butternut, and coarsely chop. Peel and chop the carrots into large chunks. Coarsely slice or chop the celery. Seed and coarsely chop the bell pepper, if using. Coarsely chop the kale or greens, if using.

Place all the veggies (except roasted garlic) into a large soup pot. Add broth, red wine, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.

Turn off heat. Add roasted garlic to the pot.

Let cool slightly, and puree in batches in a food processor. Alternately, puree in the pot with an immersion blender.

Add optional pre-cooked filler ingredients and reheat to desired eating temperature.

Enjoy!


Sarah Singer