Made a vat of this for lunch and as per usual changed the original to suit what I had in the house! Great way to use up veggies, looks a long list but fairly easy to make! Leave out bacon for a vegetarian option.
Makes enough for 8
4 rashers bacon
1 small onion
3 oz Leek (didn't have any!)
2 oz celery (had none of this either!)
4 oz carrot (1 medium)
4 oz Turnip (Substituted with Kholrabi and some extra swede)
2 oz cabbage
4 oz peeled potatoes
2 oz haricot beans (frozen baby broad beans)
6 teaspoons tomato puree
1 1/2 oz rice
1 1/2 oz spaghetti
handfull peas (used chopped up french beans)
Chopped Parsley (not necessary)
1 clove garlic
4 pints white stock (Used water and 4 stock cubes)
s & P to taste
Parmesan to serve
Chop all the vegetables up into small dice. Shred the bacon.
Heat a little olive oil in a largish pan and saute 1/2 bacon to release the fat, add onion and leek and let them sweat gently for 2-3 mins.
Add carrot, turnip and celery and sweat these with a cover for 15 mins without colouring.
Add tomato puree, add stock bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins.
Add rice and spaghetti broken into small bits, potato and cabbage, simmer for 10 mins.
Add peas and simmer a further 15 mins.
Add remaining bacon, chopped garlic, parsley and beans.
Taste for seasoning and serve with grated Parmesan.
A good winter warmer! ;D
Yummmmm, sounds wonderful Doris, I love making soup at this time of year, there's something really satisfying about it.
Sounds delicious DP, have often wondered what to do with all me bits and bobs, if you know what I mean!! Was going to do Potato and leek, but will give that a go instead. Thanks. Lottie  ;D
Love minestrone,
I have recipe from Africa that included a tin of tomatoes, instead of puree, we always had a shortage of something out there.
Seem to remember a handful of parsley went in there too! :)
Didn't realise there wasn't much in the way of meat in minestrone. Never made it before! Now, how will I convince my darling that it is a 'proper' meal if it doesn't have huge hunks of animal in it??
Ham sandwich to accompany, perhaps, EJ? ;)
You could try to fox him by using a ham bone in the soup for the flavour of the stock !! ;)
hehehhe ;D
What I thouht I could do is make the soup ala DP, then cook up some spicy chorizo all crispy and float that on it. The soup with some good bread, what more could a man want..... okay men, don't answer that one! ;D
Ok, perhaps I am taking the bait here and setting myself up, but I disagree about the necessity for meat !
On Tuesday I had ratatouille with pitta bread (with a tiny sprinking of grated cheese) and was delighted. Any vegetable soup is also heaven to me, leek and potato, onion, spinach ...
I am more concerned about the quantity of carbohydrate ... padding I call it ...
Perhaps I am just the exception, I don't know.
Derekthefox :D
You are Derek, mines a meat n potato man! Whats wrong with a pasta dish a couple of times a week I want to know! And a nice salad, and quiche, whats wrong with quiche????
EJ you could always add some pre-cooked chicken to his portion!
Think I must be spoilt, 8)
don't have the meat and two veg problems from either of my men (hubbie + son22)
in fact they often request a pasta with sun dried toms and basil etc. type of dish ( with loads of lottie veggies of course!) ;D
Can I move in with you please Flowerlady! ;D ;D
bubbling away as we speak ~thanks DP :)
Errr, I have yet another vat on the go, think I am addicted! ;D
It's wonderful, DP! Had second batch already. I seem to be able to do this one without **** it up!! ;D ;D ;D ;)
Glad you are all enjoying it, and think how healthy it is, well that is until I do homemade granary rolls and have to have them with it slathered with butter ;D ;D
It's that time of year when soup making comes to the fore. I make soup all year round but am especially soup mad when it's cold, wet and miserable outside but there is food in the ground.
Just been to plot and bought back me onions and a celeriac, and cabbage. Going to used smoked bacon and a small squash and I've got some pasta to chuck in too rather than spuds as had mountain of mash yesterday ;D
yes, homemade soup is genuine comfort food I think, and my favourite is definitely leek and potato ... but I keep experimenting with all sorts. I will be using some more pumpkin over the weekend, we will see what ensues ...
Derekthefox :D
My lottistroni is simmering as I type :) I have to go out in a little while to get some flat leaf parsley from the garden but it's pitch black and raining. Shall go out with torch ;D
I wash chopping me veg - as you do - and thinking what a good combo smoked bacon and celeriac would be so I am planning that as my next soup :) With a blob of cream at the end naturally :)
Try replacing the rice & spaghetti with pasta shells/noodles.
I make 'whatever is in the fridge'-minestrone all the time in winter and the kids don't seem to mind it.
I can't see the recipe here, but a handful of beans makes it go a long way.
I always make a double batch & OH eats 1 1/2 of it so never have enough for another meal >:(
Anna from Downunder :)
Should I say the word 'tin' :-\
I always add a tin of red kidney beans.
I put pasta in mine last night, the short stumpy one (can't thing of name) and I put a tin of baked beans in as no tinned tomatoes. It was fab with all those fresh lotty ingredients. Dog loved it ;D