Minestrone Soup (Vegan / Vegetarian)

Ingrid's Notes:

• This is yet another recipe from Kurma's cookbook. I tried making it today...It is such a delicious soup! (See below for the original recipe and text from the book)

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There are many varieties of this world-famous Italian soup. This one--"Minestrone alla Milanese"--is practically a meal in itself. Serve it with fresh bread and salad. For best results, start the soup well in advance of serving time and cook slowly.

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME: 2 hours 50 minutes
YEILD: enough for 6 to 8 persons

2 tablespoons (40 ml) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) yellow asafoetida powder
1 cup (250 ml) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried borlotti beans or kidney beans, soaked overnight in cold water
2 tablespoons (40 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon (20 ml) chopped fresh parsley
8 cups (2 litres) water
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium zucchinis, sliced
2 cups (500 ml) shredded cabbage
3/4 cup (185 ml) fresh peas
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (20 ml) rice-shaped pasta (Risoni) or broken spaghetti
1/2 cup (125 ml) parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the asafoetida in the hot oil until it becomes aromatic, and then add the tomatoes, drained soaked beans, basil, parsley, and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft, stirring occasionally
2. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for another 1/2 hour. Add the potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, peas, salt, and pepper. Ten minutes later add the pasta. After 10 minutes, if the potato, zucchini, cabbage, and peas are tender, turn off the heat. If the soup becomes too thick, add hot water as required. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes; then add the parmesan cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the individual soup bowls. Serve hot.

(Source: Great Vegetarian Dishes: Over 240 recipes from around the world by Kurma dasa. See more on http://www.kurma.net/)