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MINESTRONE

EVK’s take on the classic Italian all-season comfort soup- a tasty way to clear out your fridge and pantry!

Ingredients

Scale
  • handful of basil
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 red pepper
  • seasonal veg like: cauliflower, corn, kale, leeks, peas, zucchini, etc!
  • 45 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • water
  • olive oil
  • dried oregano
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 can of kidney beans (red beans) and/or a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • veg or chicken broth: 2 bouillon cubes or 2 cans of prepared broth (watch out for MSG!)
  • parmesan rinds
  • Bragg’s (or soy sauce)
  • Worcestershire sauce (or Chinese black vinegar-a great vegan alternative to Worcestershire!)
  • Cholula (or Louisiana-style) hot sauce
  • shell, macaroni, or broken short ends of pasta

Instructions

PREP

  1. Tear basil.
  2. Slice onion in half.
  3. Chop carrots, celery, red pepper and any seasonal veg that seem to fit.
  4. Dice garlic.
  5. Purée chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a mini food processor, with a submersion blender, or by chopping as finely as you can. You’ll only need a tablespoon or 2!

COOK

  1. Boil a kettle of water and let it cool a little.
  2. Burn the onion halves cut side down directly on the element or burner until they’re nicely singed. Let them cool then dice them.
  3. Fry onions and garlic in a good splash of olive oil, in a deep pot on medium-low heat.
  4. Add dashes of oregano, salt and pepper.
  5. When onions soften, add carrots, celery, basil and seasonal veg (except leafy greens like kale, add them close to the end so they don’t turn to mush!).
  6. When carrots start to soften, add beans and diced tomatoes (liquids too), bouillon cubes or cans of broth.
  7. Add parmesan rinds.
  8. Add hot water ’til you’ve got about the right amount of soup.
  9. Add splashes of chipotle purée, Bragg’s, Worcestershire, and Cholula to taste.
  10. Add pasta and simmer until noodles are cooked al dente (cooked but still firm).
  11. Remove parmesan rinds.
  12. Serve with CHEESE TOAST.