yummy minestrone-type soup
Mar. 22nd, 2010 03:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kindkitToday, feeling domestic, I made broth from the remains of the rotisserie chicken I bought on Friday (a local grocery store sells them for $5 on Fridays, which is a lovely bargain). Then I used the broth to make a big pot of improvised minestrone-like soup. It turned out both beautiful and delicious. It was beautylicious! Although not bootylicious, which is perhaps too much to expect from a soup anyway.
1 large onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can chickpeas, carefully rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, most of the liquid drained off
Some frozen lima beans
About 2 ounces dried pasta (I used farfalle)
About 1/3 of a large bag pre-washed fresh spinach
I cooked the onion in olive oil over medium-ish heat for a few minutes until it was translucent and getting soft, then added the bell pepper and cooked a couple more minutes, then added the garlic and cooked for a minute more.
Then I added the broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes, brought the soup to a simmer, and let it simmer (not boil) for about an hour to let the flavors blend.
Then I added the frozen lima beans (no point thawing them first) and a bit of water, brought the soup up to a boil, and added the pasta. At the last minute, I added the spinach and let it wilt.
Then I devoured a big bowlful of the soup with grated parmesan cheese and freshly-ground black pepper on top.
Notes: Don't omit the bell pepper unless you really have to. I almost didn't add it--I was thinking of using it for something else--but it contributed a wonderful flavor and color. You could use a yellow or red pepper instead of an orange one, although with a red pepper the soup won't be as colorful. Don't use a green pepper, though; green peppers don't have the same sweetness.
If I had remembered in time, I would have added the rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano in my fridge to the broth at the start of the simmering. That also adds a lot of flavor, and I believe it's a common technique in real Italian minestrone.
Variations: You could easily substitute a decent quality commercial chicken broth for the homemade broth; a vegetable broth would work perfectly well for a vegetarian soup. Chard would be even more delicious than spinach, and in fact it's what I wanted to use, but the grocery store didn't have any (*sigh*). Really, it's hard to imagine a vegetable that wouldn't work in this soup. The determinedly carnivorous could add some diced chicken, but I think the soup is fine without it.
1 large onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can chickpeas, carefully rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, most of the liquid drained off
Some frozen lima beans
About 2 ounces dried pasta (I used farfalle)
About 1/3 of a large bag pre-washed fresh spinach
I cooked the onion in olive oil over medium-ish heat for a few minutes until it was translucent and getting soft, then added the bell pepper and cooked a couple more minutes, then added the garlic and cooked for a minute more.
Then I added the broth, chickpeas, and tomatoes, brought the soup to a simmer, and let it simmer (not boil) for about an hour to let the flavors blend.
Then I added the frozen lima beans (no point thawing them first) and a bit of water, brought the soup up to a boil, and added the pasta. At the last minute, I added the spinach and let it wilt.
Then I devoured a big bowlful of the soup with grated parmesan cheese and freshly-ground black pepper on top.
Notes: Don't omit the bell pepper unless you really have to. I almost didn't add it--I was thinking of using it for something else--but it contributed a wonderful flavor and color. You could use a yellow or red pepper instead of an orange one, although with a red pepper the soup won't be as colorful. Don't use a green pepper, though; green peppers don't have the same sweetness.
If I had remembered in time, I would have added the rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano in my fridge to the broth at the start of the simmering. That also adds a lot of flavor, and I believe it's a common technique in real Italian minestrone.
Variations: You could easily substitute a decent quality commercial chicken broth for the homemade broth; a vegetable broth would work perfectly well for a vegetarian soup. Chard would be even more delicious than spinach, and in fact it's what I wanted to use, but the grocery store didn't have any (*sigh*). Really, it's hard to imagine a vegetable that wouldn't work in this soup. The determinedly carnivorous could add some diced chicken, but I think the soup is fine without it.
