It’s the last week of December which means we are going to be welcoming a new year in a few days. Like many people, we are happy to say farewell to the year 2020! It has been the most difficult year we have endured. One silver lining this year has been the quality time we have spent with our families. With so many restrictions like restaurants and other entertainment facilities being closed, we have had to find a way to really enjoy our homes. We have spent a lot of time in the kitchen and in the living room playing board games and watching television. One of the things that we had never allowed before was eating in the living room, but all those rules were thrown out the window as we adjusted to this new normal. We would prepare picnic lunches and dinners and enjoy them sitting around the coffee table and watching our favourite movies and shows.
When we come in from the cold after enjoying a winter sport like sledding or skating, what we crave the most is hot soup. One of our favourites is minestrone soup. It has so many wonderful and healthy ingredients as well as soft and comforting noodles. For my version of minestrone soup, you will need the following ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups chopped potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup of noodles, mini shells or elbow pasta
• 1 can of navy beans
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)
Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes, garlic and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper until you are satisfied with the flavour. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.
I hope you will give this recipe a try during these cold winter days. We will be posting the recipe on Microsoft Teams where you can access your EC Montreal online classes.
