Whole30 Winter Minestrone

My grandmother was the queen of soup. She could whip up THE most delicious, hearty and satisfying soup with what seemed to be just a few ingredients. One year, I was lucky enough to host her birthday, and her requests were simple: soup and strawberry cake. I was all too happily obliged, and made one of my favorites, Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone. And with that inspiration in mind, I have made some tweaks to keep it Whole30 and paleo friendly.

When making this recipe, be sure to chop, dice, measure and prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking. This idea, of what the French call, mis en place, roughly translates to “everything in place” will save you from the missteps that come from rushing from step to step. I also find that for me, it greatly increases my enjoyment of the cooking process.

Minestrone is an Italian soup that starts with a mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) and tomato base. And truly, you can make this with any variety of seasonal vegetables. The recommendation is that you keep your total amount of vegetables to 3 to 4 cups, but this does not include leafy greens, as they will wilt down.

Also:

You could omit the prosciutto, making it a perfect #meatlessmonday or vegetarian option
You could add a can of white (drained) beans for a heartier fair (not Whole30)
You could also add a cooked pasta or rice (not Whole30) – I often do this for my boys. I will have the precooked rice or pasta, and add to their soup bowls as needed

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Course: Soup

Ingredients

Soup Ingredients

Olive oil
6 Pieces of prosciutto (about one package) – be sure to check labels if keeping Whole30 compliant
2 cups Yellow onion (diced)
2 cups Carrots (diced)
2 cups Butternut squash (diced and peeled)
1 ½ tbsp Garlic (minced)
2 tsp Fresh thyme (chopped)
26 oz Canned or boxed chopped tomatoes – you can also used crushed
6 cups Chicken stock – check labels if keeping Whole30
1 Bay leaf
cup White wine vinegar
cup Water
Pesto (see recipe below)
2 tsp Nutritional yeast
2 cups Zucchini noodles- be sure to cut, as you don’t want them too long

Pesto Ingredients

¼ cup Pinenuts (you can also use pistachios or walnuts)
2 Cloves of garlic
½ cup Spinach leaves
1 ½ cups Fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
¾ cup Extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black pepper

Instructions

Soup Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside
Heat your large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add your olive oil (2 Tablespoons), onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme. Cook until soften, about 8-10 minutes- be sure to stir occasionally
While the vegetables are cooking, lay prosciutto flat on prepared baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes- you want it to crisp up, turn a darker brown, and crumble easily . Set aside once finished
Add in tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, salt, pepper and bring pot to a boil, and then lower to a simmer for about 30 minutes. You want the vegetable to be tender, but still firm
Remove bay leaf, add the water, vinegar, pesto (recipe below, or store bought, but if you’re keeping Whole30, be sure it’s compliant) , nutritional yeast, and taste for salt and pepper, then add in zucchini noodles. Carefully, stir so all the ingredients have been fully incorporated. You can also opt to add the noodles to each bowl just before serving, if you prefer a firmer noodle, or are planning for a leftovers
Garnish with crispy prosciutto and fresh parsley

Pesto Instructions

Add the nuts and garlic to a food processor, pulsing a few times to combine
Add the lemon juice, basil and spinach and pulse until chopped
Keep food processor on low and slowly pour in the olive oil until everything is blended
Salt + pepper to taste