Exploring the flavors of Italy: The art of making minestrone

Italians have specialized in pasta, meats, or pizzas, but Italian cuisine is more than just gluten. Vegetables are the cornerstone of nearly all dishes. One of the most beloved recipes is minestrone. It's the Italian counterpart to the well-known and beloved vegetable soup.

Simple. Affordable. Nutritious. Incredibly tasty. Aromatic. One could write for hours about Italian cuisine. It might seem that Italians eat exclusively pasta and pizzas. That's a myth. Residents of Italy are experts in vegetarian and even vegan cuisine.

If you're a fan of Italian cuisine, try the recipe for minestrone. It's the Italian version of vegetable soup. It's incredibly filling, aromatic, and simple to make. You likely already have most of the ingredients needed at home.

No one probably doubts that Italian cuisine has a lot to offer. Much is said about Italian kinds of pasta, pizzas, or desserts. It's time to delve into the world of Italian soups. As one could guess, most of them are tomato-based. After all, no tomatoes taste as good as those bathed in the Italian sun.

Italian cuisine thrives on tomatoes, so tomato cream is the most popular Italian soup. It is most often served with mozzarella or croutons. In some regions, the cream is replaced with light tomato broth and additions such as eggplant (Tuscan soup) or beans (ribollita).

One cannot forget about minestrone. It's a simple vegetable soup with additions such as beans, onions, celery, or carrots. Every Italian 'mamma' prepares it a bit differently. It's one of those recipes used when the refrigerator looks empty. If you love Italian cuisine, you definitely should try the minestrone recipe.

Ingredients:

• 940ml of broth (e.g., vegetable),
• 1 zucchini,
• 1 carrot,
• 1 parsnip,
• 1 onion,
• 3 stalks of celery,
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• oil,
• a can of white beans,
• a package of tomato passata,
• salt,
• pepper,
• dried thyme,
• a handful of grated Parmesan cheese,
• optionally: pasta, croutons.

Preparation:

1. Wash, peel, and cut the zucchini, onion, celery, carrot, and parsnip into thick cubes. Put all the vegetables into a pot with heated oil and sauté them for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the broth over them and cook until the vegetables soften slightly.
2. When the broth has evaporated, add the tomato passata, garlic pressed through a garlic press, salt, pepper, thyme, and beans. Cook the whole mixture for another 5 minutes.
3. Pour the finished soup into a bowl. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons or pasta.