Peasant Soup – Minestrone soup

Minestrone di verdura

Dachary Carey of The Peasant Chef, asked me if I would be interested in a guest post discussing healthy food, organic and local raised products and why I decided to be a chef. I thought that Peasant Chef was really in line with my values and beliefs and without hesitation accepted the invitation. I wanted to feature a traditional and very healthy dish that my mom used to make with our garden vegetables and Minestrone came to my mind. It’s a very hearty soup, with so many different types of vegetables and vitamins so a gold mine in a bowl.

Ingredients for 4

• 1 large potato, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 cup green chards, chopped
• 2 cups green beens, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh peas (or frozen)
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 celeri sticks, diced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seedless
• 1/2 cup dry cannellini beans (or 1 cup can organic cannellini beans)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs basil, chopped
• 2/3 cup Ditalini pasta (optional)
• 1.5 liters vegetable broth (slightly more)
• parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Soak cannellini beans overnight if using dry beans.

In a large pot, heat olive oil, add shallots and brown them.

Add garlic clove crushed. Stir for a few minutes at medium heat, then add tomatoes and basil.

Cook for a few more minutes then add all other vegetables. Mix well and cook for about 5-7 minutes, then add broth.

Cook at medium heat for about 30-40 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. If using Ditalini pasta add them at the same time as canned bean which is 10 minutes before it’s done cooking.

Top with parmigiano, sprinkle with olive oil and fresh pepper.

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From Dachary Carey

The focus on healthy cooking and using fresh, local produce is important to us at Peasant Chef. It was in looking for other food lovers who share that focus that we came across Silvia’s website and blog. We love her concept as a personal chef who focuses on healthy, fresh cuisine, and her Italian and French background gives her an edge in creating tasty food that’s still a pleasure to look at and eat! That’s what caught our attention about Silvia’s blog – the beautiful pictures of her tasty food, and the passion that came through about cooking healthy foods with fresh ingredients.

Support local farms and be good to your body.
One of the great things about living in most parts of the United States is that there are local farms almost everywhere you go. While there are large tracts of land devoted to corporate farming, local farms haven’t vanished entirely, and are actually making a bit of a comeback. As people are getting more and more focused on healthy eating, sustainable farming practices and organic, pesticide-free ingredients, local farms are filling this niche.

By using produce and ingredients from local farms, you’re supporting the local farmers and simultaneously putting good things into your body. By using organic, pesticide-free foods, you’re not putting dangerous chemicals and hormones into your body. Not only is it good for the farmers, but it’s good for you – it’s a win-win!

Fresh ingredients just taste better.
One thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that fresh ingredients just taste better! If you look at the average packaged food at your grocery store, it’s loaded with artificial flavors and preservatives. The reason that companies need all that garbage is because the food isn’t fresh!

If you cook with fresh ingredients, you can tap into natural, fresh flavors. Fresh herbs and spices provide so much more flavor than dried versions, for example, that your mouth will be in for a real treat. And by cooking fresh foods instead of preparing packaged foods from the store, not only are you eating healthier, but you’ll even enjoy your food better!

Try it at home sometime. Make your own tomato sauce for pasta out of tomatoes, hamburger, onions, garlic and maybe even some green pepper. Add some salt and pepper, and maybe some herbs or oregano for extra flavor. It typically only takes 15-20 minutes to whip up a batch of fresh pasta sauce – it doesn’t have to take forever! Taste it, and you’ll realize what you’ve been missing by eating canned pasta sauce all those years – and you’ll never go back.

You are what you eat – literally!
Everyone has heard the phrase “you are what you eat,” but most people don’t realize exactly how literal that phrase truly is. If you eat unhealthy foods high in saturated fat all the time, your body will become saggy, listless and sluggish. On the other hand, if you eat healthy, fresh foods, you’ll have more energy and your immune system will perform better than it ever has!

Countries that eat a healthier diet have significantly lower rates of obesity, drastically reduced rates of heart disease and even live longer lives. The things you put in your body directly affect how your body performs, so give it good fuel and you’ll get a lot of healthy years out of it!

Keep eating healthy – and enjoy it!
Thanks, Silvia, for making a website focused on eating healthy, tasty foods! Hopefully you can help people realize that healthy food doesn’t have to lack flavor, and delicious food doesn’t have to be unhealthy.