Soup is good for you in cold weather.
Soup is good for you in hot weather.
Soup is good.
This Minestrone is substantial with big delicious chunks of carrots and potatoes and end-of-the-season zucchini.
The recipe is welcoming to endless variations making it a perfect (and delicious!) dish to assemble with whatever you have in your refrigerator crisper.The original recipe, for example, included pasta and meatballs. I especially enjoyed the big chunks of potato, but, then, being of proud Irish descent, I’ve never met a potato I didn’t adore.
This recipe is from Lee Koenig’s Portico. You can order Portico through your local bookstore or on Amazon here.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Minestrone
October 17, 2026
Ingredients
- 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and cubed)
- 1 large zucchini (cubed)
- 6 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 T. tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2-3 fresh tomatoes (chopped large)
- 7 C. vegetable broth
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
- Grated Parmesan
- Chopped cilantro and/or parsley (for garnish)
Directions
- Step 1 Use a large Dutch oven for this soup. Heat extra-virgin olive oil until it sizzles and sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and zucchini until they are soft and lightly brown. This will take about 10 minutes depending upon your stove.
- Step 2 Add tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes. Your guide to whether you have cooked this long enough is whether the potatoes are tender.
- Step 3 Adjust seasonings.Garnish with basil. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desire. Garnish wth grated Parmesan.
