No Recipe Minestrone

Pretty sure anyone who actually knows how to make Minestrone is going to cringe when they read this "no recipe" recipe. I used to follow Minestrone recipes, but at some point I figured out what I liked and went from there. I hope you enjoy the creativity of this recipe and give yourself permission to make it up as you go! This can be vegetarian or vegan.





No Recipe Minestrone

The idea here is to use what you like in the amounts you either have or want to use. Generally, I like to have it pretty thick with just a bit of liquid and with lots of tomato. If you prefer it thinner, with less tomato, then make it that way. You get to decide with this recipe!

olive oil
something in the onion family, red, yellow, white, green, leeks (you get the idea)
broth (chicken, veggie, homemade, etc.)
garlic (garlic salt or powder OK as is green garlic) I've developed a sensitivity to garlic, DARN. So I only use a little, mash it and add to whatever I'm cooking. That way I get the flavor but don't have to eat pieces of it.
beans, precooked or canned, such as garbanzo, red, kidney, white, etc. (if canned, drain and rinse)
vegetables such as green beans, corn, peas, carrots, celery, fennel, eggplant, mushrooms, etc.
potato (any kind)
greens such as chard, spinach, kale, cabbage, etc.
tomatoes, fresh or canned
left over pasta sauce, homemade or out of a jar
pasta, any sort
red pepper flakes to taste
salt & pepper to taste
herbs for garnish, any sort (I used basil)
cheese for garnish, can be any kind, but I like Parmesan or Romano

Saute the onion in a little olive oil. Add veggies if they need to cook (the one I made recently had raw carrots and eggplant, which I sautéed with the onion). Once wilted and a little browned, add broth, smashed garlic and cut up potato (as much as you like, I used one medium sized). Simmer til potato nearly done. Add tomatoes and simmer till they break down a bit. Add pasta sauce, red pepper flakes and uncooked pasta. Cook till pasta is nearly done. Add beans (I used a 1/2 can of garbanzo beans), veggies (cooked ones or ones not requiring much cooking, I used flat green beans that were pre-cooked and corn cut off the cob), and the green (I used cabbage). Simmer til done. Taste, add salt and pepper and make other adjustments as needed. Scoop into bowls, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle with fresh herbs and cheese. Enjoy. Minestrone is even better the next day, albeit much thicker because the pasta continues to swell.