Guys, the coldness is real. Autumn has come along and slapped us in the face up here in Scotland. Maybe this year I’ll finally manage to buy some cold weather clothe. Or maybe I’ll just keep freezing to death. Time will tell.
Even if I don’t have a sweater, at least I have soup. And this one’s packed with vegetables, so that’s good, right? Green Minestrone is loaded up with zuchinni, cabbage, leeks, and green beans. Everything gets roughly chopped, tossed in the pot, then topped up with some good vegetable stock. Throw in some adorable tiny pasta, and it’s on.
In case you think things are getting a little too healthy up in here, I garnished these with some parmesan crisps. You can make these in a skillet or in the oven. Just pile up a spoonful of parm, apply heat, and watch the magic. It should only take about three of four minutes for your cheese to melt into crispy little discs.
Soup solves so many problems. Get out your favorite pot and make Green Minestrone tonight.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek, clean, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped
- about 225 grams of white cabbage, shredded
- 50-75 grams green beans, with the ends trimmed then chopped in half
- 1 liter vegetable stock
- 100 grams small shaped pasta
- 1 tablespoon vermouth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan, crisp or not, to serve, optional
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm your oil, then add the leek and zucchini, give it an occasional stir. Let this cook for about 5 minutes to soften up a bit.
- Next add in the cabbage and green beans and cook for another five minutes. Your cabbage will shrink down to a manageable size. Don't worry.
- Add the stock to your pot and allow it to come to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, put a lid on your pot, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover the pot, nudge the heat up some so your soup comes back to a boil, then add the pasta and cook it for about 10 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add the vermouth. Turn your heat off, add salt and pepper to taste, and allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese or some deceptively fancy parmesan crisps.
