Winter minestrone, comfort food for the cold days
Nothing beats a hearty, home-cooked soup straight from the country kitchen. Minestrone is a classic that always hits the spot. It is the perfect example of a dish that transcends seasons and regions. Get ready to indulge because I've put together a recipe for a winter minestrone using root vegetables, kale, and cannellini beans. It's the perfect cozy meal for sharing with your loved ones on a chilly winter night.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ butternut
- 1 parsnip
- 1 parsley root
- 3 carrots
- 3 small turnips
- 4 stalks green celery
- 4 kale leaves
- 1 can cannellini beans (240 g)
- 1 piece of Parmesan crust
- 2.5 L vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- 75 g small pasta (optional)
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Preparation:
Finely slice the onion and garlic cloves. Tie the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaves together with kitchen twine. Peel the butternut and the various root vegetables and cut them into 1-cm cubes. Remove the threads from the celery with a peeler and cut the branches into ½-cm pieces. Tear the kale into coarse pieces. Drain the cannellini beans through a sieve.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until it becomes glazy but don't let it brown. Now add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the butternut, root vegetables, celery and kale and simmer gently with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the vegetables. If necessary, add a splash of water.
Next, add the broth, herbs, and rind of Parmesan cheese to the stock pot. Let the soup simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. If you want to add pasta to the minestrone, just cook them separately and add them to the minestrone at this stage. Finally, add the cannellini beans and check the seasoning. Gently simmer for another 5 minutes. Then your minestrone is ready.
Remove the Parmesan cheese rind from the soup. Serve the minestrone in rustic bowls and top with a small drizzle of olive oil, a spoonful of pesto, or ground parmesan cheese. Now add a piece of crusty country bread for an even tastier meal.
![Winter Minestrone 00041]()
