I looked at the cupboards today after my son told me there was 'nothing to eat'. He had just baked a loaf of bread from scratch so I suggested a big tomato based minestrone soup would soak up the bread nicely. Of course he leaped at that idea and that is how this recipe was born.
We are fortunate to have a few jars of our own Ghiggioli Family Passata (recipe can be found here) left over for days like today, where quality pre-preserved ingredients can be combined with fresh brazillian spinach and italian parsley from the garden, the basics such a garlic, onion and potato, some dried mixed beans, a handful of bottom of the jar organic animal pasta and a little wedge of speck I bought from a Queensland small good producer called Bakka Australia. I bumped into them before Christmas at a produce market and bought a few different types of cured meats and popped the speck into the freezer waiting for this exact moment.
It is easy to motivate a hungry 13 year old boy. He prepared most of the ingredients while I harvested the spinach and gave him a few directions. He is slicing up the warm bread as I type and serving the soup into bowls for our family. I do believe learning the skills of cooking at a young age will give him the curiosity to expand his culinary repertoire and instill a respect for our favourite part of the day, eating family meals together.
MINESTRONE SOUP BAREFOOT FARMHER STYLE
Preparation Time - 15 min
Cooking Time - 1.5hrs
Soaking Beans - 1hr prior
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large onion, diced
1 wedge of speck
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch of brazillian spinach, chopped, or silverbeet
1 800ml jar of passata, or 2 x 400g jars of tinned tomatoes and fresh rosemary
1 cup of dried mixed beans, soaked for 1 hour
3L of water
1 cup of pasta, I used animal shapes
1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
Ground salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Soak dried beans in fresh water for an hour.
2. In a heavy based soup pot, add oil, garlic and onions and cook for 10 min on medium heat until onions start to become translucent.
3. Add the diced speck and potatoes and continue to cook until the speck browns slightly.
4. Add the jar of passata and cook for 2 min.
5. Drain and rinse the soaked beans and add them with the spinach to the soup.
6. Add water and stir.
7. Add cup of pasta of choice.
8. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour, or until the beans are cooked.
9. Pour into bowls and serve with fresh, crusty bread.
An easy, hearty and tasty meal for the family.
Sonia Ghiggioli - Barefoot FarmHer