Minestrone alla Patata

I would eat soup everyday given the choice - and do a few times per week. Having said that, it is no surprise that my first entry to this blog is exactly that - soup. You can really change this a lot by adding all sorts of vegetables, so go with what you know and like. I like to serve this with a hearty, crusty wheat bread. Today the baker had a nice "nut bread" so I went with that. Here's my version which has been adapted from Cooking Light - January/February 2008

10 - 12 ounces chopped potatoes

2 t olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano

1 C diced zucchini
1/2 C chopped carrot
1/2 C fennel diced
1 C water
2 C low sodium chicken broth
5 T tomato paste
2 C chopped spinach
3/4 C drained and rinsed red kidney beans
1/2 t ground pepper
2 T grated Parmesan Cheese
Crusty whole what bread

Start by filling a medium sized saucepan with hot tap water and put on high heat. Chop up the potatoes and add to the saucepan. Boil while you prepare the rest of the soup.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. While oil is heating chop up your onions and add to the pan. Chop up your garlic and add to the pan. Add the basil and oregano and stir occasionally. You don't want the heat so high that you are concerned about your garlic burning but it needs to be hot enough for the onions to soften. This should take about five minutes.

While you are chopping/dicing the following ingredients stir the pan occasionally. Chop up your carrots and add to the pan, dice your fennel and add to the pan, dice your zucchini and add to the pan. Saute until the zucchini are warm and heated through. Stir in water, chicken broth and the tomato paste. Bring the whole mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer for ten minutes or until your veggies are cooked through but not mushy. By this time your potatoes should be almost cooked through. Drain and rinse them and add them to the pot. Cook 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and cook five minutes. Add the beans and cook a few more minutes until they are heated through. Lastly stir in the pepper and simmer covered.

Set your table, cut your bread, open and pour your bottle of wine - and fertig. Soups done. Serve the minestrone into bowls and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Buon Appetito!

Ratings (out of 5 - 1 being the worst)
Steve = 4 "Because it was yummy."
Wendy = 3.5 It was what I would expect in a minestrone, but nothing earth shattering. Good meal for when it's cold outside.
Steve's rating