Marcella Hazan’s famous Minestrone has taken all over the culinary world! It is a famous gastronomical delight that has been doing rounds of one of the most outstanding recipes recently! Minestrone is a healthy Italian soup comprising vegetables, pasta/rice.
This soup was traditionally made for using up leftover vegetables. Hence, you should not feel shy to use any kind of vegetables and greens you have handy!
The other ingredients in the Minestrone are zucchini, green/white beans, and butternut squash! The optional items for this soup include herbs and spices, canned tomatoes, and onions!
Why is Minestrone the best?
- It is easy to make and is affordable.
- It is the recipe that calls for affordable pantry items and seasonal vegetables that otherwise people don’t eat.
- The soup tastes better the next day, too.
- The soup freezes well.
Are Marcella beans used in the soup?
Minestrone consists of California-grown Marcella beans, which are grown from heirloom Italian seeds. They add an exotic flavor to the soup.
Marcella Hazan’s soup recipe
Publisher: Marcella Hazan.
Cuisine: Italian.
Category: Soup.
Prep Time: 20-25 minutes (Ideally).
Servings: 4:5 people
Calories: 1 cup, 137 calories.
What are the ingredients required for Marcella Hazan soup?
The following are the ingredients required for Marcella Hazan soup:
- One tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Two tablespoons of salted butter.
- Two garlic cloves minced.
- One onion thinly sliced.
- Two carrots peeled and diced.
- Two celery stalks diced.
- One large potato is diced and peeled.
- Two medium Zucchini cubed.
- Four cups of vegetables.
- Two cups of water.
- Half cup canned plum tomato.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Two to three cups of Marcella beans.
- Half cup grated cheese (Parmesan).
Instructions
- Start by taking a large stockpot. Take the ¼ oil and butter and warm it in low to medium heat. After mixing the butter and oil, add the garlic and onion to your pan and cook the vegetables.
- Soak the Zucchini in a large bowl of cold water for at least 20 minutes. After soaking it, rinse it well and trim both its ends. Cut it into halves.
- Combine the oil, butter, and onion in the saucepan. Keep the flame to low. Keep stirring occasionally for eight minutes straight. Wait until the onion becomes pale gold.
- After the onion exudes an aroma and becomes golden, add carrots and stir one or two times for two to three minutes. Add celery and let it cook for a while. Keep stirring. After the celery cooks entirely, it’s time for you to add potatoes. Stir occasionally for two minutes.
- In the meantime, soak the green beans in cold water. Rinse and snap off both ends. Cut it into ½ pieces.
- After adding the beans to the pot, wait two minutes for them to cook. Keep stirring occasionally. Add the Zucchini and let it cook for two minutes. Then, add the cabbage. Cook for six minutes more.
- Take a pot and add the broth, Parmesan cheese, and tomatoes in it with a sprinkle of salt. Stir the pot thoroughly and cover it. Lower the heat/flame so that the soup simmers. Cook at a steady pace.
- Cook until the consistency of the soup is fairly dense. While stirring, you will get to know how thick the soup is. If at any point you realize that the soup is becoming too thick, you can add some water in it to dilute it.
- It is recommended to remove the cheese crust and add the seasoning and salt before turning off the heat!
What is so special about Minestrone?
Marcella Hazan’s Minestrone recipe is a standard for a genius, minimalist soup with a mellow flavor. Minestrone has always been a epitome of traditional Italian cuisine, and it is made with lots of vegetables and beans.
We overlook our daily menu and do not incorporate soup in our daily meals unless we go out to eat! While at a restaurant, we order soup before the main course and the starters but refrain from incorporating it into the meals we eat at home. Minestrone is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and enzymes that help you stay strong and full of energy!
To attain the maximum benefits, it is important to focus on seasonal vegetables, and the more variety of vegetables you incorporate in the soup, the better it will be for you! Red vegetables such as tomatoes and radishes are very rich in lycopene.
Lycopene is an antioxidant that is great for a healthy cardiovascular system. Minestrone also contains orange vegetables such as carrots for healthy skin and vision. Spinach and chicory are the vegetables that prevent the wear and tear of your body by protecting your immune system. Cabbage and fennels are vegetables that are rich in flavonoids that are used for the prevention of inflammatory conditions!
Minestrone is great for the ones who are on a diet. There is a presence of fibers in the vegetables used in minestrone. These vegetables slow down gastric emptying and also the absorption of sugars in the blood. It also prolongs the feeling of fullness and is the best food for your sudden hunger pangs!
Minestrone also has many detoxifying properties. It purifies the entire body and provides minerals such as magnesium and potassium.
Conclusion
As you traverse our way through spine-chilling winters, it is nice to sip on a hot steaming soup that will take all your worries away! Nothing is like a fulfilling bowl of soup on a chilly winter evening. Moreover, they keep you warm and toasty!
Soups do not require a large amount of prep time. They are the best to crave your immediate hunger pangs! The best part about soups is that you can incorporate them with handy ingredients. If you have vegetables in the corner of the fridge, you can just take them out and put them into boiling broth! You can prepare a savory soup in just ten to fifteen minutes!
Soups and stews freeze well, and they are a great option if you are planning a dinner ahead of time and just want to meal prep in advance!
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