Hello everyone and welcome to my first instructable in which I will illustrate how I make Minestrone soup.

But first, some introductory info (it goes without saying that if you are really really hungry you can skip to the next step).

The Italian word for soup is minestra. The suffix -one is common in Italian to obtain the augmentative version of many nouns as it is the case here: hence, minestrone literally means nothing more than "big/rich soup". Therefore, when in English we say Minestrone soup we are actually saying something like "big soup soup". Minestra has also its diminutive form with the suffix -ina: minestrina. It is interesting to note that while Minestrina and Minestra are feminine nouns, Minestrone is masculine. Why is that, I have no clue. Finally, soup also translates into the Italian word zuppa, where the common Germanic origin is evident. The difference between the two is that while you can find pasta or rice in a Minestra dish, that is never the case for zuppa where sometimes bread can be added.

Now, how can you tell if what you are slurping off the spoon is minestrina, minestra or minestrone? Here is a mini guide:

Minestrina - translates to broth in English and broth is what you get: generally vegetable or chicken bouillon (stock) from a cube with some kind of small/tiny pasta in it. Optional, a sprinkle of Parmigiano/Grana Padano chesse on top. Most often served to babies or ill people, if you are older than 6 and enjoy good health I doubt you will ever try minestrina (and - between you and me - you won't be missing out much, as this is not exactly a gourmet dish)

Minestra - typically uses several ingredients, a couple of which determines the dominant flavours and sometimes the name of the dish as well. Unlike minestrone, fish and meat are often used and there are prominent regional specialities.

Minestrone - usually prepared from freshly available vegetables, the ingredients to make minestrone vary depending on season and geographical location, although an essential core can be identified in onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and beans. The absence of fish or meat certifies its poor origin and the addition of pasta is not uncommon (broken spaghetti being one popular option).

If you are still unsure you can spot or cook some Italian Minestrone, then read on...

DISCLAIMER: This instructable contains explicit pictures of raw and cooked vegetables. Please be considered towards your kids when browsing these pages or attempting to prepare minestrone: 9 out of 10 are not going to like it. The author takes no responsibility for the hard time this dish might give when served to children.

Step 1: Ingredients

Serves 3:

2 small Onions
1 small bunch of parsley
2 potatoes
1 stalk of celery
1 large carrot
1 courgette (zucchini)
2 cloves of garlic
2 ripe yomatoes
1 can of Borlotti or Cannellini Beans (even better if you have uncooked beans)
1 head of broccoli (or cauliflower)
1 thick slice of a small quartered pumpkin
150g Peas
Salt
Pepper
Water
Extra Virgin Oil of olive

As mentioned earlier, you can add or substitute several ingredients: spinach, leek, green beans, cabagges, chard, etc.
Sometimes stock can be used but if the ingredients are fresh and quality, water should be sufficient.

Step 2: Prepare Vegetables

Thoroughly wash and clean/peel all the vegetables.

Finely chop garlic, onions, carrots, celery, spring onions.

The stem of broccoli is often wasted but if you cut off its external skin the inner part is very tender and can be chopped and added to the above ingredients for the "soffritto" (see next step).

Peel and dice the courgette, pumpkin, tomatoes and potatoes.

Reduce the head of broccoli into small florets

Step 3: Soffritto

Soffritto is a key element of Italian cuisine. It is the process of lightly browning and softening some finely chopped vegetables in some hot oil of olive. Nearly every pasta sauce begins with some lightly frying onions at the bottom of a pan. Even the simplest tomato sauce can be considerably improved with a good soffritto. While onion is the essential element here, we will use a richer blend of ingredients for a more flavoursome result. Also, using good quality oil of olive is always preferred.

Pour a generous splash of oil of olive at the bottom of a large pot and turn the stove on to medium heat. Wait for the oil to get hot. As a trick you can throw in a small piece of chopped onion and wait to hear/see the sizzle around it. Then you can add all the finely chopped ingredients (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, spring onions, broccoli's stem). Adding a pinch of salt will help the veggies to release some of their juices, preventing the them to burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon and reduce heat if necessary.

Step 4: Adding the Vegetables

I add all the vegetables and herbs: potatoes, pumpkin, courgette, broccoli, tomatoes, peas, beans, parsley. I stir thoroughly and cover with cold water. I bring the water to boil and add a crust of Parmigiano cheese for extra flavour: Minestrone is a recipe that comes from a setting of poverty where nothing would go to waste. Then reduce heat and place a lid on the pot.

At this point you can go back to some of your other projects or browse Instructables.com for inspiration: the minestrone will cook for approximately 45 minutes.

NOTE: If you are using beans out of a can you will add them later, because they are pre cooked. That's what I have done in the next step.

Step 5: Season and Serve

When the vegetables are soft Minestrone is ready. I stir in the beans if I am using canned beans and after a couple of minutes I season with salt and pepper. I add a splash of oil of olive and serve in a soup bowl. If you like you can add some grated Parmigiano cheese.

When I was a kid I used to find the floating vegetables repulsive so my parents would pass the whole thing through a mixer and serve it back to me as a uniform greenish thick soup. I had no more excuses... Now my taste buds have learn to love minestrone and the colorful composition of vegetables is almost arty.