Lightened up Minestrone #KitchenMatrixCookingChallenge

Why am I calling this Lightened up Minestrone?  Well, minestrone is defined as a thick soup often with the addition of pasta, rice or both.  Most Minestrone I have made and eaten during my life also contains legumes of some sort.  This soup contains neither.  It does contain potatoes. I have never seen, made nor eaten a Minestrone that contained potatoes prior to this soup that I am sharing.

I belong to a group of bloggers who are cooking their way through Chef Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix Cookbook.  It is more of a guide than a conventional cookbook and it encourages you to think outside of the box.  This soup is one of the recipes listed under the category Vegetable Soups.  It is listed as Minestrone.

Ok....a rose by any other name....I think it is simply Vegetable Soup.  I added some dried Italian seasoning because, if I'm gonna call it Minestrone, it should have some resemblance to the soup I know and love.

Other than that I stuck pretty true to the recipe.  I was tempted to add some pasta, or legumes, or greens but I resisted.  I had already shared a more traditional Minestrone in this post.  I also have a Spring Vegetable Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs on the schedule to be shared this Spring.  That made this a perfect Minestrone to share with you for today's event.

This is a very good soup that we enjoyed as a first course during a family dinner and for lunch the following day.  It is perfect for those who are still keeping their resolve to eat more moderately in 2018.

Lightened Up Minestrone
adapted from Kitchen Matrix by Mark Bittman

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 carrots, scraped and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
3 T. olive oil
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 t. garlic paste
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 lg. handfuls of fresh green beans, ends removed and halved
1 t. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. beef broth
3 c. water

In large soup pot, heat the olive oil over med high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for a couple minutes longer.  Add the tomatoes with their juices, Italian seasoning, beef broth and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Add the green beans and simmer until fork tender but still a beautiful green.  Print Recipe

More Vegetable Soups

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