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Recipe: Simplest Minestrone

By guest blogger Stephanie Maris

The Canadian fall is marked by three seasonal changes: colorful leaves, shorter days and the sniffles and sneezes of our classmates. While we can arm ourselves against the cooler weather with sweaters and scarves, it’s important to provide our bodies with the nutrition it needs to fight off the season’s cold and the flus it sometimes brings.

For those chilly days when you crave a big bowl of liquid comfort, stray far away from the dented can of Campbell’s lurking in your cupboard and opt instead for a simple soup that features vitamin-rich veggies in a satisfyingly chunky tomato broth.

This hearty minestrone soup has just seven ingredients, and takes under half an hour from start to delicious finish.  To save time, opt for baby carrots, which can be used whole, and pick up pre-cubed squash in your local grocer’s vegetable aisle.

Simplest Minestrone

Serves four starving students

Ingredients:

  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 package of snow peas
  • 1 can of whole organic tomatoes
  • 2 cups of butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 package button mushrooms, washed, whole
  • 1/4 onion, chopped small
  • 1 large box of vegetable broth

Method:

1)    Pour the entire contents of canned tomatoes and vegetable broth into a large pot.

2)    Peel, wash, and chop your vegetables as needed and add to soup mixture.

3)    Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down and the squash is cooked through, roughly thirty minutes.

4)    Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a slice of crusty bread.  For an added touch, top with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. (The pre-grated stuff works too. We won’t tell!)

5)    Sit back, enjoy and listen graciously as your roommates offer to do your laundry in exchange for a delicious bowl-full.

Photo by Stephanie Maris

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