Soup Recipes
Slice Of Life By Eileen Goltz
Probably the most popular Italian soup is minestrone. There are as many versions of minestrone in world as there are cooks who like to make it.
Spring and summer minestrone is usually made up from spring zucchini, beans, tomatoes, green beans and chard or spinach. Fall and winter minestrone often contains heartier root vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, squash, and carrots, as well as pasta to thicken it. One of the more basic items use to flavor minestrone is Parmesan cheese. This can be problematic kosher wise if you've used a chicken or beef stock or have added meat to the soup. Just substitute a pareve broth and the problem is eliminated. Nothing adds to the flavor of minestrone like freshly shaved or grated Parmesan. There is no right or wrong way to make minestrone, and you may certainly choose the ingredients you like best regardless of the time of year. I always start with equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery that I cook in olive oil until it is tender. The denser, firmer vegetables should go in first, while you save fresh tender vegetables for the last half an hour or so of cooking. Just add enough stock or water to cover the vegetables, and allow them to simmer. I cook my soup long enough for the vegetables begin to blend into each other, but not so long that they turn to mush.