End of Summer Minestrone

It's been chilly here in the Windy City so I thought "I really need a pot of soup". I absolutely love the fall and here is my autumnal happiness list:



1. Apple picking

2. Apple cider

3. Wood-burning fires

4. Leaves

5. Tights

6. Tall boots

7. That great vintage coat I found in Portland

8. Halloween with the mister.

Okay, you don't really care about my list. What you are here for is the recipe. For the farmer links, see the eggplant recipe below.


End of Summer Minestrone


1/3 c. olive oil
1 tbs. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1-28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice
1-15 oz. can cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and strained
4 cups water
1 tbs. Better than Bouillion Chicken Paste (this is optional; you could use a vegetable bouillion cube, too)
2 tbs. each of oregano, basil and parsley, de-stemmed and minced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2/3 c. cut green beans
2/3 c. corn, or approximately 1 ear of corn with the kernels sliced off
1 c. squash or zucchini, diced
1 small jalapeno, chopped
1 c. amaranth, chopped
2/3 c. elbow pasta (or some other small pasta fit for a soup)



Heat oil on medium in a large soup pot (I used my pasta pot). Make sure it has a thick bottom so the soup won't burn.


Add onion and saute until it is translucent. Add the potatoes and carrots, cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredientsexcept the pasta. Let simmer on LOW (put on smallest burner) for several hours. Add the pasta during the last hour otherwise it will get overcooked and turn to mush.


Suggestions and Options:

You can use a slow cooker, but you will want to cook the veggies a little in the oil first before putting it into the cooker. You'll also want to add a little more water (maybe a cup) and wait until the last hour to add the pasta if you won't be around to watch it. I've had bad luck with slow cookers myself-lots of burning and coagulated messes-but that's just me.

You can really use whatever vegetables you have or like. Veggies that are on their last leg are good soup options, so long as they aren't actually rotten.

You can substitute any leafy green for the amaranth: spinach, kale, collard greens, etc.

The trick to having a good soup with depth includes two things:

1. FAT. You must have ample fat, either in the form of oil or animal fat. In minestrone, you can always cook up some pancetta in the pot with a little bit of oil and make that your base.

2. SALT. So often, soups are flavorless because not enough salt was put in at the beginning of the cooking process. Test your soup about an hour into the cooking process to decide if it needs a little "something". If it does, your best bet is to add a little more salt, rather than waiting until the end.

3. I know I said two things, but the third is LAYERING WITH LOVE. I am convinced that my dishes turn out better when I give the same time and attention to each vegetable. So I add ingredients in one at a time, not rushing them and making sure they have ample time to get to know their new neighbors. Think melting pot rather than salad bowl if you get my drift.