Perfect Vegetarian Minestrone With Optional Sausage Recipes

Steps:

• Place onion in saucepan with one tablespoon water and saute until clear.
• Add remaining water and vegetables and bring to the boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes.
• Add macaroni, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Place in large bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and serve with crusty bread.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the broth, 2 cups water, the cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the collard greens and simmer until the greens are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the orzo. Season with salt. Top with the shredded parmesan.
• Photograph Courtesy of Time Inc. Books/Alison Miksch.

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil over medium heat, once warm add the onion and let it sweat for about 5 minutes (watch it doesn't burn).
• Stir in the tomato paste as best you can and let that sizzle more a few minutes, then add in the garlic.
• Let that cook a few minutes while you chop up the 'sausage', then add it in along with the bay leaf, basil and parsley. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes then mix in the 1/2 cup of water, stir well. Leave that while you get the rest of the ingredients together.
• Add in the carrot then turn the heat up and stir in the broth. Bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, add in the orzo and barley. Stir well, reduce heat and allow to simmer over medium low heat for about 35 minutes. Stir from time to time as barley and orzo are prone to sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Adjust seasoning and add peas and corn about 25 minutes into the simmering. Once the barley is cooked through the soup is done. You may want to add more broth, it gets quite thick, especially if you leave it to cook a lot longer.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and celery; cook and stir until soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in green beans, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper; cook for about 5 minutes. Add diced and crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth; bring to a boil. If it looks too thick, add a bit of water.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in kidney beans, cannellini beans, and macaroni; cook until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan-style cheese and fresh basil.

Steps:

• In a lare pot heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine 2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the water in a blender and puree until smoooth.
• Add the tomatoes, the bean puree, the remaining 8 cups water, the salt, and the pepper, to the pot. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Stir in the sausage, the remaining 2 cups bean, and the spinach. Simmer until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with grated parmesan, and pass more Parmesan at the table.