Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Soup #38 / Minestrone

38

In preparation for our journey to Italy, we bring you Minestrone soup. No recipe was followed, this delicious soup came straight from Chef E's brain. Molto  Molto Buono!

What you will need: 
1 bag of dried beans
8 oz mini shell noodles
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 package (4-5) Italian sausages (mild or hot to your preference - we used mild)
2 15oz cans of diced tomato
6 cloves of garlic, chopped/crushed
6 cups of water
1 tbsp oil

How to make it:

In a large pot of water cook your dried beans until soft and cooked through. If some of them are almost soft but with a little hard center, it's OK. It will finish cooking later on. E let the beans boil for about 2 hours. Drain beans, rinse, and set aside.

Slice sausages into 1 inch pieces. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium high. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are evenly browned. Add in your diced onions and continue to cook until they're evenly browned. Next, add in the chopped celery, carrots, and peppers and top with the two cans of diced tomato (with juices).  Allow the veggies to cook and simmer together until the carrots and celery become soft.

Now add in the beans, and add about 6 cups of water. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to cook. In a separate pan, cook you pasta noodles.  When they're ready, strain the water out and add them to your soup. Allow to cook another 5 minutes or so until everything is incorporated.
Serve into hearty bowls with a side of fresh bread and butter and a large glass of red wine. ENJOY!

The verdict: Delicious. I love coming home to E cooking up a storm in the kitchen, because I know that's when dinner's going to taste really good. This one didn't let me down!

What we'd do differently:  Honestly, I can't think of a thing except to be hungrier when I sit down to eat it!

XO

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