Minestra giardiniera

Minestra Giardiniera is a light and healthy dish, packed with vegetables. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 1 carrot
• 1 potato
• 1 zucchini
• 150 g of fresh or frozen peas
• 150 g of green beans
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 small onion
• 2 ripe tomatoes or 200 ml of tomato purée
• 1 liter of vegetable or chicken broth
• 50 g of soup rice (such as Carnaroli or Arborio)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Wash all the vegetables. Cut the carrot, potato, and zucchini into similarly sized cubes. Clean the green beans by removing the ends and cut them into pieces. Finely chop the celery and onion.
2. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the celery and continue to sauté for another couple of minutes.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes, green beans, peas, and zucchini to the sauté and stir well.
4. Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes or the tomato purée, vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. When the soup starts to boil, lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
6. 10 minutes before the end, add the rice and make sure there is enough liquid in the pot; if necessary, add some water. Adjust with salt and pepper.
7. Cook until the rice and vegetables are tender.
8. Serve the Minestra Giardiniera piping hot, garnished with chopped fresh basil or parsley and, if you like, with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

The dish is ideal for autumn or winter evenings, but can be enjoyed in any season due to its lightness and versatility. It is also an excellent way to get children to eat vegetables.

Curiosity

The term “Giardiniera” refers to the great variety of vegetables used in this soup, which resembles the diversity of a garden or vegetable patch. This dish is very versatile and allows for the use of different vegetables depending on the season or personal preferences.