Minestrone

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Big soup pot (I use a dutch oven)
• Bowl for chopped vegetables

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 4-5 medium-size potatoes, diced
• 2-3 cups trimmed green beans, chopped into bite-size pieces (I use frozen)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Can or two of cooked beans (whatever you have around is fine, pick a color you like; something that won't lose its shape can be nice).
• 0.5 cups fresh parsley, chopped
• ~1 tbsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard grating cheese for topping

Instructions

1. Put pot on stove, pour in in some olive oil, and turn heat to medium
2. Saute carrot, celery, onion (and red pepper flakes, if using) for a few minutes
3. Throw in the potatoes, cook for a minute
4. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, crank heat until it boils
5. Reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, maybe 15 minutes
6. Add green beans and parsley, boil again
7. Reduce to simmer, cook for 15-20 more minutes
8. Dump in beans, keep on heat until they're warmed through
9. Finish with nice olive oil and/or grated cheese when serving

Additional details about this recipe

• Quite heavily based on Mark Bittman's Minestrone from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.