Green Minestrone Soup | Healthy Italian
When I hear the word 'minestrone,' I have the most uncontrollable urge to start... laughing. Strange reaction, I know.
Most people salivate.
I laugh.
Why? Because it makes me think of the comic 1961 song by legendary actors Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren, "Bangers and Mash."
They sing a hilarious duet as an English husband and Italian wife. Joe, the English husband, turns up his nose at everything Italian that his wife places in front of him- macaroni, tagliatelle, vermicelli... Joe says no to everything, including minestrone. All Joe wants to eat is bangers and mash, just like his mother used to make. (Eye roll!!) Anyone who has been married a number of years has probably heard that one before.
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| My Green Minestrone Soup I guarantee that there will be no rejections with this one. Only requests for seconds. |
Here's an excerpt of the lyrics of the song (Bangers and Mash).
Trust me, it's bound to make you chuckle too...
Or have a listen. Sofia Loren's charming Italian accent is something else:
Wife: Eat your minestrone, Joe
Joe: That's all you ever say
Wife: Eat your macaroni, Joe
Joe: Ev'ry blinkin' day
Wife: No wonder you're so boney, Joe, and skinny as a rake
Joe: Well then, give us a bash at the bangers and mash me Muvver used to make
Joe: Bangers and mash
Wife: Minestrone
Joe: Bangers and mash
Wife: Macaroni
Joe: Give us a bash at the bangers and mash me Muvver used to make
Wife: Eat your tagliatelli, Joe
Joe: That's all I've 'eard for years
Wife: Eat your vermicelli, Joe
Joe: It's comin' out me ears
Wife: You've got to fill your belly, Joe; Joe, for heaven's sake
Joe: Well then, give us a bash at the bangers and mash me Muvver used to make
Wife: Well alright!
Joe: Bangers and mash
Wife: Tagliatelli
Joe: Bangers and mash
Wife: Vermicelli
Joe: Ah, give us a bash at the bangers and mash me Muvver used to make
My Simple Green Minestrone Soup
Hmmm, Joe's a hard nut to crack. I pity his wife.
She probably would have fared better if she had my recipe for a 'Green Italian Minestrone Soup' instead.
My simple green minestrone soup is really quick to make and filled with lots of nutritious ingredients for a healthy, wholesome, one-dish meal. So good for you!
Starting with a simple mirepoix of onions, garlic and carrots, I add potatoes, chicken and macaroni to cook in a soup broth (using stock or soup cubes). Once everything is cooked, I add all the nutritious green vegetables like spinach, peas and canned fava beans.
Presto! Dinner is ready. I guarantee Joe would have been asking for seconds on this one. Bangers and mash long forgotten.
For a vegetarian minestrone soup, just omit the chicken.
Recipe for a Simple Green Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
☐ 1 medium white/ yellow onion sliced
☐ 6 cloves garlic slice
☐ 1 potato diced or slivered
☐ 1 small chicken breast, diced
☐ 4 spring onions, finely chopped
☐ 1/2 cup small macaroni (shell or bow-tie pasta)
☐ 1/2 carrot, diced
☐ 1 small can of fava beans or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed.
☐ 2 cups fresh spinach
☐ 1/2 cup frozen peas
☐ 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
☐ 1 cube of chicken bouillon soup cube
☐ 1 liter of boiling water
☐ Olive oil
☐ Salt and Pepper to taste
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1: Make the Mirepoix
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add the diced white/ yellow onion, garlic and carrots. Stir until the onions have softened.
Step 2: Add Vegetables and Chicken
Add the potatoes and stir a few minutes.
Add the finely chopped spring onions and diced chicken and stir for a few minutes.
Add the boiling water, crushed red pepper, chicken bouillon soup cube. Reduce to a simmer.
After 2 minutes, add the small pasta/ macaroni and continue to boil until macaroni and potatoes are cooked.
Step 3: Add the Greens
Finally, add the frozen peas, the can of fava or cannelini beans and the raw spinach. Turn off the stove and stir until spinach has wilted. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with freshly chopped spring onions.
Tip: Preserve the bright hues of the spinach and peas by adding these right at the end. Do not cover.
Optional add ins:
- You could add celery and leeks (thinly sliced) to the onions and carrots for a more aromatic mirepoix/ flavour base.
- Additional green add ins are fresh sugar snap peas, diagonally cut in half crosswise or chopped asparagus.
- You can stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese just before serving for a richer soup.
- Garnish with fresh dill for a more aromatic soup.
- You can top with a teaspoon of pesto for an intense flavor.
Visit "My Cookbook Index" to check out my other recipes to tickle your tastebuds.