Saturday, January 5, 2013

Minestrone

Minestrone in Italian literally means big soup!
A big soup made with vegetables.
There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made with vegetables that are in season, or whatever you have on hand!
One thing that you always want to remember when you make soup (and homemade tomato sauce), is to put in the pot some olive oil with the onion, celery and carrots first and let it brown a little. 
Then add the rest of the veggies and then the broth. 
This is the "secret" of a very tasty soup!
So that's what I do. Really simple.
I always try to add
beans for protein and potatoes for filling.
My Minestrone today had:
3 carrots
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
3 potatoes
1/2lb of green beans
2 cups of cooked beans
1 can diced tomatoes
Cook for 30 minutes on low/medium heat.
Add oregano or a mix of Italian herbs.
Make sure the veggies are covered with broth and water during the cooking time.
Adjust the salt.
Enjoy with artisan bread 
(this is how I make 5 minutes artisan bread)

Soups are a frugal way to dine...and warm you up too during  a cold chilly night.
The total cost of the veggie used was less than $2.50 
(and I make my broth from scratch...which really costs about nothing)

Stay Frugal,
Daniela

13 comments:

must love junk said...

Oh my! That looks so hearty and yummy for the wintertime! I've said it before...I want you to come and be my personal chef :)
Susan

Anonymous said...

this made me very hungry! YUM!

Mary Palumbo Collings said...

Sempre gustoso un bel minestrone eh... Il tuo mi fa venire fame... Buon weekend... Ciao a presto

Cristina Garay said...

One of my favorite soups! We are a family that love soups, this one is a complete meal on itself. It looks delicious!

Sandra@Beneath this Roof, Within these Walls said...

Looks and sounds delicious, perfect on a cold, wintry day!

Kelly said...

This is one of my favorite soups! Thanks for sharing the recipe. You are a very healthy cook and to make it for less money is an added bonus!

Revi said...

Yumm. I LOVE soup - and one of the reasons I love winter!

NanaDiana said...

I love soup, Dani. You are such a good wife/mom/homemaker. I love this recipe-it is a bit different than my own and I will try this sometime this winter-xo Diana

Deneen@dreaming-n-color said...

Yum! Makes me feel warm all over. Love a good minestrone!

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Good Evening Daniela, Happy New Year to you.
Minestrone soup was the very first soup I learnt to make when I married in 1970. In my recipe small pieces of pasta were added. I wonder if it was to bulk out the soup.....is this normal?
Have a lovely day. Best Wishes Daphne

Amy of While Wearing Heels said...

Yum. That looks delicious. Perfect for a cold night.

Libby said...

You know I've never had this soup before. I keep seeing it on the menus in restaurants, but your homemade version looks more tasty. Might have to give this one a try. I love vegetable soups!

Unknown said...

Yum, now I'm hungry for minestrone. I'm going to try this.