Potentino Minestrone for 6-8

Please note that left over minestrone is better so add more Ingredients if you wish Cavolo Nero 200 g

• Pumpkin 100g
• Mushrooms 100g
• Tinned Tomato 1 can
• Zucchini 100g
• Potato 100g
• Dried Cannellini or Borlotti Beans 100g

(Ingredients depend on season – traditionally these soups are made with what you had in your vegetable patch or in the fields Or nowadays in fridge or shop) Spinach, Cabbage, Swiss Chard or Stinging Nettle may be used to replace Cavolo Nero when it is not in season and you can also add Asparagus Fresh Borlotti Beans Fresh Tomato Green Beans Fresh Peas Fresh Broad Beans

 

Chop or slice all vegetables into small pieces about the size of the first digit of your thumb. Do not slice your thumb.

Beans do not need to be sliced or chopped. Cavolo Nero or substitution may be put into blender and rough blended.

Put aside all choppings to add later Soffritto

• Celery - 50g
• Carrots – 50g
• Onion – 50g
• Garlic -25g

For cooking the soffritto and condiment for the finished soup Potentino Extra virgin Olive Oil

Flavouring Winter - sage and/or rosemary

Summer – basil and/or wild thyme Soak dried beans overnight.

Soak dried beans overnight.

Cook gently so the water goes plop plop for about an hour until soft but not dissolving – put aside.

MINESTRONE

I start with the soffritto mix. Preferably in cast iron pot or one with a good thick base.

• Celery
• Carrots
• Onion
• Garlic

I throw everything into the Blender or finely chop.   I then sautee it gently in said pot with our best extravirgin olive oil.

After 10 mins of gently sautéing you can add pumpkin, mushrooms, potato asparagus, peas, beans, cabbage, tomato et al

BUT DO NOT ADD Green leaf matter Cook it all up gently for 10 mins.

Add water to cover. At this point season and flavour with herbs of your choice and a little bit of chili chopped. Do not use dried herbs from the shops they are rubbish.

If you have your own home-made stock (either chicken or vegetable) please add. Since we do not always have these and I am rather busy, we use a vegetable broth with no mono sodium glutamate - known in the house as ‘magic powder’. It is not cocaine.

Preparation is pretty much over. Let this cook for 30mins slowly – you can add the beans (dried, soaked and cooked) if you have not taken the fresh pea/bean option.

Add the Cavolo Nero or green leaf option. Stir in and DO NOT cover. Cook for another 15 mins.

Serve with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Bruschetta (toasted Tuscan bread rubbed with fresh garlic, soused in olive oil and sprinkled with Olive oil. DO NOT rub garlic before toasting)