Mussel Minestrone Food

ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
• Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
• Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
• Past this time veggies will become super soft and will "melt" one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
• Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
• As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
• If you're not planning to serve minestrone right away, don't add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you're ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
• Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
• Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

MUSSEL MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and when it starts to bubble, stir in the diced vegetables with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, but not yet taking on any colour.
• Stir in the curry powder and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the bay leaf, white wine, stock and water. Turn the heat up to bring the soup to the boil, then turn the heat down and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, to reduce the liquid by a third.
• When you're ready to eat, turn the heat up to high again, bring the soup to the boil and stir in the drained mussels, discarding any that are still open and do not close when you tap them. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and discard any that have remained closed. Remove the mussels from their shells and return the meat to the soup.
• Ladle the minestrone into warmed bowls. Stir half of the parsley through the yogurt, and serve with the toasted sourdough topped with mango chutney, butter and the remaining parsley.

MINESTRONE ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Heat butter in 6 quart stock pot over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 6-8 minutes until soft and golden, but not brown.
• Stir in carrots and potato; cook and stir 5 minutes. Add celery, green beans, zucchini, cabbage and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes.
• Add broth, water and tomatoes to pot. Stir in all spices.
• Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to low. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Rinse and drain cannelini beans; add to pot along with pasta. Uncover and cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes until soup thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

"FORGOTTEN" MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until meat is tender.
• Add zucchini, cabbage, beans and macaroni; cook on high 30-45 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.
• Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

MINNESOTA MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Cook and stir the meat onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven until the meat is brown.
• Drain off the excess fat.
• Stir in the undrained tomatoes, undrained kidney beans, the undrained corn, and remaining ingredients except the cheese, breaking up the tomatoes as you do.
• Heat to boiling then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the macaroni and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve hot with the Parmesan cheese.