Image by Courtesy of Paola Gavin

Minestrone del Sabato (Italy)

This classic minestrone soup comes from Rome’s Jewish community. A good minestrone soup should be thick with vegetables, pasta or rice and never watery. The vegetables can vary according to the season – turnip, leek, cabbage, broad (fava) beans, Swiss chard, or beet greens are all possible additions.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano

1 carrot, diced

2 medium courgettes (zucchini), diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

100g (2/3 cup) cooked and drained cannellini beans

100g (2/3 cup) freshly shelled or frozen peas

400g (14oz) ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

250g (9oz) spinach, cut into 2cm (3/4 in) strips

50g (1/2 cup) spaghetti or vermicelli, broken into 2cm (3/4 in) lengths

salt and freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, garlic, celery and oregano over a moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, courgettes, potato, cannellini beans, peas, tomatoes, spinach and 1 litre (4 cups) water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1. hours, then add the spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the spaghetti is tender but still firm. Serve hot, with grated cheese on the side.

Recipe excerpted with permission from Hazana: Jewish Vegetarian Cooking by Paola Gavin, published by Quadrille October 2017, RRP $35.00 hardcover.

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