Surfing Ruined My Life

Minestrone Soup
In a Bread Bowl

Ahhh! Culinary delight.

Im not going to lie soups are definitely a department I have been lacking in.  Its not for a deficiency in ability but more just a lack of propriety on my part.  I am not really a soup eater.  To me a soup is something you have to warm you up on a cold winters day, maybe a light snack and in both cases I have had no problem just throwing on some pasta and a chicken or beef bouillon cube.  Since I am trying and broaden my horizons and get my menu up I figured I would give one a go.  I have always enjoyed Minestrone Soup out and decided why not give it a shot.

Total Cost: $12.85
Feeds about 4-6 people (as soup, if you using bread bowl you must add in the cost of one roll per person)

Ingredient List:

• Vegetable Broth/Stock – 3 cups
• Vegetable Bouillon Cube – 1 cube
• Diced Tomatoes – 28 oz (canned or fresh)
• White Cannellini Beans – 15oz (canned)
• Celery – 2 stalks
• Red Onion – 1 (Chopped Julienne)
• Carrots – 2 (Chopped Julienne)
• Yellow Squash – 1 (Chopped Julienne)
• Zucchini – 1 (Chopped Julienne)
• Italian Brown Mushrooms – 8 (chopped Quartered)
• Spinach – 2 cups – (Fresh, Rough chop)
• Ditalini Pasta – 8 oz
• Salt – 2 Table Spoons (or as see fit)
• Pepper – 1 Table Spoon
• Oregano – 2 Table Spoons (Dry chopped)
• Sage – 1 Tea Spoon (Dry)
• Thyme – ½ Tea Spoon (Dry)
• Bay Leaves – 2
• Parmesan Cheese – 4 Table Spoons
• Basil – 1 Table Spoon
• Parsley – 1 Tea Spoon (Dry or fresh, Chopped)
• Sour Dough Rolls – 6-8” diameter, 1 roll per person if making bread bowls

Step 1: Prep Vegetables – Take Zucchini and Squash, cut into thirds or fourths long ways, then julienne on an angle the length of vegetable. Take celery remove leafy tops cut in half long ways, starting at the wide white bottom of stalk to about half way up, then cut the length of stalk julienne on an angle. Peel Red Onion, cut in half down middle, then long ways, half both halves, cut julienne.  Peel carrots, cut off tip and back.  Then cut in half long ways, then half both halves long ways as well.  Cut julienne on an angle. Quarter mushrooms from the center.  Dice tomatoes or used pre-diced canned ones (I used canned in this instance).  Roughly chop Spinach.

This is what I mean by cutting something Julienne, its just a fancy way of saying uniformly sliced.

Step 2: Combine Vegetables and Stock in Slow Cooker – In a slow cooker combine vegetable stock, vegetable bouillon cube, Cannellini Beans, all of the vegetables you prepared in step one, Oregano, Sage, Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Basil, Parsley.  Set slow cooker on high and let stay for around 6-8+ hours, the longer the better in most cases when it comes to slow cooking.  If you don’t have a slow cooker this can be done on a low flame in a sizable boiling pot for around the same amount of time, of course when cooking on a range you should not leave it unattended.  Remember what Smokey the Bear says “Only you can prevent fires”.

Step 3: Cook Pasta – In a medium size boiling pot cook pasta till done probably around 10-12 minutes at boil.  Strain pasta when cooked.

Step 4: Combine All Ingredients – In a large boiling pot combine pasta and your now finished slow cooked concoction.  Bring to a boil and leave for around 8-10 minutes, add any extra spices as you see fit.  Around 6 minutes into the boiling stir in Parmesan Cheese.

The culmination of all your ingredients.

Step 5 (optional): Make Bread Bowl – Take roll and cut about a 4-5” diameter circle being careful to not cut through the bottom of the bread.  I would say cut about three quarters of the way in.  Remove cut out and turn the inside of roll into a bowl using your fingers to compress the bread.  Save the tops for dipping!  Pour finished soup into bread bowls for a scrumptious looking meal.

The bread bowl pre-soup.