DAY 1- MINESTRONE
After nearly two months of extraordinary heat and sunshine, finally some rainy days in London. Temperatures dropped and even if we could go out we’d probably stay at home. It’s a weather that calls for something warm, that will boil on the stove for a while and steam up the kitchen windows.
I’m making a minestrone. It translates to “big soup”, it’s a Winter favourite that uses pretty much whatever vegetables you have in the house and it’s particularly convenient if any of your ingredients had been forgotten and are on the edge of rotting. This is how you save them without wasting a thing.
Minestrone is delicious, filling and will keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Ingredients are easily interchangeable so don’t worry if you don’t have what I’m using. Feel free to double the ingredients and make more for the next day!
Ingredients (3-4 people):
Olive oil, 50 gr
Leek, 150 gr
Red onion, 80 gr
Celery, 60 gr
Carrot, 80 gr
Rosemary, a small branch
Butternut squash, 250 gr
Potatoes, 330 gr
Cauliflower, 300 gr
Courgettes, 150 gr
Green beans, 200 gr
Tomatoes, 350 gr
Bay leaves, 2
Water, as needed
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: pancetta, to taste
Start by rinsing all the vegetables. Peel the onions, carrots, celery, squash, tomatoes (throw them in boiling water for about 20 seconds and they’ll peel easily) and potatoes. Trim the green beans and get rid of the green, hard end of the leeks. Finely chop the onions, carrots and celery. Cut all vegetables in roughly 1-cm cubes. The cauliflower will be left in small heads and the leeks can be sliced thinly.
In a high pot pour the olive oil, once it’s hot add the onions, leeks, carrots and celery, let them brown lightly for about 5-10 mins, stirring constantly. Add the rosemary branch and bay leaves and keep stirring for another couple of minutes, then pour enough water to cover and drown your vegetables (by a couple of fingers). Let it come to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes at least, then add the squash and repeat the drowning process (the water should always be two fingers higher than the vegetables), let it come to a boil. Continue doing the same adding the potatoes first, then the cauliflower. Once the cauliflower is in pour about double the amount of water you’ve used for each ingredients so far and let simmer for about half an hour.
Add the courgettes, tomatoes, and green beans and add more water to cover all the vegetables. Let it come to a boil once again and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper. Your minestrone is ready!
I like to add some crispy pancetta on top of my plate, for taste and texture. I’ll cube the pancetta on fry it in a pan without any oil (it will release quite a lot of its own fat) at a moderately high heat for a couple of minutes. It’s also a way to get some proteins in!
Enjoy!