Been learning a lot from this site, finally joined up.
All the techniques and recommendations from here have made me a better cook all around.
So for that, my wife thanks all of you.
One recipe I haven't been able to find, is a decent vegetable or minestrone soup.
Any recommendations or links I have missed ?
I have dozens of recipes. Just let me know how you like your soup. Vegetarian? Traditional? Heavy on the tomato? Light on the tomato? Herbal? Super traditional? Let me know what you like, and I'll have a recipe for you. I've been making soup, for work and home, for 35 years. Greetings from a chilly(-8F) Houston, Alaska.
Strat, something along the lines of vegetarian and traditional, light on the tomato, light on the herbs. Something I could work with as a good starter soup, would be helpful. Sadly, I don't have any of my Grandma's soup recipes. Hard to find good soups down here in sunny Florida.
Meat would be just fine, whatever it takes.
Something I could work with over time. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not going to want to change anything in your recipe. Looking forward to it.
I really appreciate your input Strat, thanks in advance.
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon coarsely chopped
1 cup each of chopped onions, celery, carrots, and leeks(both white and green part(this is optional))
1Tbl. chopped garlic
1Tbl. Dry basil
1tsp. oregano
½ tsp black pepper
1 15oz. can tomato products(diced, whole(crushed by hand), stewed, etc. No sauce or paste for this.
6 cups ham stock(start with 6 cups hot water, then add enough chicken bullion to make 5 cups, then add enough beef bouillon to make up the rest. Then add a couple drops liquid smoke. If you have a ham hock, then omit the beef stock and liquid smoke and just use chicken stock along with the ham hock)
¾-1 cup small pasta(elbows, shells, orzo, etc. it just needs to be small)If you like more, then use more.
¾-1 cup dry beans. (kidney, small red, cannelloni, great northern, even black.Your choice).You can use canned beans if you like, just rinse well before using. If using canned, one medium sized can is the ticket.
Optional veggies(recommended) 2 cups chopped cabbage, 1 cup cubed zucchini or yellow squash, 1 cup sliced mushrooms.
1 cup cheap-ass burgundy or any dry red wine.
Procedure:
The night before, soak the beans in about 4 cups water. If you forget or are in a hurry, place beans in a saucepan, cover with water. Place on high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to simmer. You may cover if you like. Watch the liquid level, do not let the liquid get below the level of the beans. If it does(it happens to the best of us!), just add water till covered again and keep simmering till tender. If the beans are dry, it will take a couple hours, less if they are soaked. When beans are tender, remove from heat, drain in a colander,strainer, and set aside. If you chose canned beans, disregard and go to the next step.
In a 12 quart pot, dutch oven, etc, heat on medium heat(med.-low for cast iron) sauté bacon until crispy, add onions, carrots, celery, leeks, mushrooms(if using), and sweat until browning occurs, then add garlic, Dry basil, oregano, and pepper. Continue to sauté until the garlic starts to brown(keep your wine and stock ready!)When garlic is browned, deglaze with wine, then add stock and the ham hock (if using). If using, add the rest of the vegetables and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45min, stirring occasionally. If the soup, at this point seems too thick, then add more chicken stock. If using a ham hock, cook for 90 minutes. If using a ham hock, remove, and chop what meat you can and add it to the soup.
While you are simmering your soup, cook your pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse in cold water, then sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and olive oil on pasta, set aside.
Assembly:
When soup is cooked till you like it, add pre-cooked beans, and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Do not add the pasta to the pot unless you plan to eat all the soup in one sitting.
Serving:
Place some pasta(however much you want) in the bottom of you're serving bowl, then ladle the hot soup over the pasta. Garnish with a bit of grated parmesan, romano, etc. A really nice twist is to sprinkle fresh chopped basil over the steaming bowl of soup. A nice crusty bread with butter or olive oil is sublime with this.
This is a "base" recipe. The variations are endless. I hope you like it as much as my customers, and my family do. I know it looks complicated, but it really isn't. The actual amount of work is barely 30-40 minutes combined. The measurements are approximate, don't worry if you are a little off. This is a very forgiving recipe, so don't sweat it and have fun.
Strat, this is just awesome !
Looks like the we'll have a new favorite during those cold (the florida kind) nights.
The bacon and the wine are 2 things I didn't think of. Considering we love both of those ingredients, I'm surprised.
2 more question for you:
-You keep the pasta and soup separate. Why ? Is it the olive oil that could separate in the soup ?
-In other soup recipes, do you ever use beer as an ingredient ?
I really appreciate you taking the time to help with this Strat.
Thanks again.
If you include the pasta in the soup, the pasta swells and the soup becomes starchy.I use beer frequently in soup. Like wine, it is an acid flavor. For example, you could substitute stout for red wine in this minestrone recipe, and it would be good. The olive oil mixed with the pasta and salt is to prevent the pasta from sticking together, plus it adds a bit of flavor and mouthfeel to the soup.
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