My Most Epic Post Yet: Soup vs. the Polar Vortex

Now parts of the US are experiencing and preparing for an extreme cold snap. The Polar Vortex, as dubbed by one scientist, will bring incredibly cold temperatures which in some areas may be 30 degrees below zero (with wind chill bringing it down even further)! In our area, we are expecting a high tomorrow of 15 and a low of -4.

In North Carolina - and probably other Southern places - talk of cold and snow causes a run on  bread and milk, a panic I have never understood. Personally, if I'm fearing frigid temperatures and preparing to be stuck at home, I want comforting foods that are easy to heat (especially without electricity) but still delicious. To this end, I've been making soup and our weekly menu plan features another soup recipe and Jordan's chili.

Yesterday, which was especially cold in the morning, inspired me to make a try a new vegetable soup recipe - winter vegetable minestrone. This recipe was an easy-to-make one pot meal. This recipe takes advantage of the wonderful produce available in wintertime; but you could easily swap out some of the more seasonal vegetables (like butternut squash) for an alternative (potatoes, for example) any time of year. For example, I was unable to find Savoy cabbage at my local market but swapped it out for Napa cabbage; you could use any easily tenderized greens, like spinach, too.

Minestrone is is a traditional tomato-based Italian soup brimming with vegetables and usually pasta in a mild broth. I am used to - and generally prefer - soups with more bold broths/bases, so this soup read as somewhat gentle in flavor. However, with that light broth, you're able to taste and appreciate each vegetables texture and unique flavor. If you're looking for something more bold, you could use low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.

This soup is also quite healthy and would be the perfect dish for a Meatless Monday meal. Weighing in at a little over 300 calories per serving, this soup fills you up without compromising your waistline. And obviously, it is visibly full of vitamin-rich vegetables that are good for the whole family. If your children are picky eaters, it might be a hard sell to convince them to eat an all-veggie soup. However, the simplicity of this dish makes it a great kid chef-friendly soup that they can make themselves (they'll need some knife and stove supervision but that's it). And when children take ownership of their nutrition and food preparation, they're proud of what they've cooked and much more likely to eat and enjoy their meals.

With a piece of warm, crusty bread this soup is sure to fill you up, satisfy your appetite and warm up your whole body. I hope you all keep safe and warm during this impending winter storm and enjoy something delicious that protects you from the cold, heating you from the inside out. We will be inside with mugs of soup!

Winter Vegetable Minestrone

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1Tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1, 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1, 15 oz. can navy beans, rinsed

1, 3" piece of Parmesan rind (ask at the deli counter, they usually have leftovers for cheap)

6 c water

1/2 c small pasta shells (or any mini pasta like bowties or elbows)

1/4 chopped Savoy (or Napa) cabbage

Method:

Cook onion with salt, pepper and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until the onion is soft. Add tomatoes and their juice and simmer 6-8 minutes until thickened. Add squash, carrots, beans and Parmesan and water. Simmer until vegetables are fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. 

If you intend to serve all of the soup (4 servings) at once, add your pasta. However, if you anticipate leftovers and eating on this for several meals, cook enough pasta (1/8 c per serving) for the immediate meal and add it at the end. If you add your pasta now and package it for reheating later, the pasta will absorb too much liquid and become bloated and mushy. If making ahead for a later meal, stop here then add the cabbage and pasta when reheating later. 

Add cabbage and simmer until pasta is tender (if cooked in the soup) or 6 minutes. Remove the remains of the rind.  

Serve topped with grated Parmesan and warm, crusty bread. (I used an "everything" topped French bread, drizzled with olive oil and broiled just until crispy on the outside).