Recipes

Fall Minestrone Soup

I live in the Northeast so it’s definitely fall here mid-October. The leaves leaves range from a bright red to a burnt yellow. Jackets are being taken out of the closet. The days shorter, the meals warmer.

What’s great about this soup is its versatility no matter where you live or what season it is. If you don’t care of fennel, add a little more onion. Swap the cauliflower for broccoli. Add green beans, or asparagus. Change out the greens. Whatever you do, simply make it nourishing for you and a beautiful representation of where you are.

– Jacquie Chamberlain for FoodCoachNYC.com

 

Photo Credit: Cameron Whitman

Ingredients

Minestrone Soup

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 small bulb fennel, fronds + core removed, diced

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 quart vegetable or chicken broth (your favorite bone broth works great here!)

1/2 cup white beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained OR 1 can white beans, drained

6-8 sprigs of thyme

1 28oz can whole, peeled tomatoes

1 bunch Tuscan kale (swiss chard or escarole is also good), chopped into bite sized pieces

1 zucchini, chopped (optional)

½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets (optional)

 

Herbed cashew cream

I have a batch of this “cream” in my refrigerator at all times to mix into eggs, put into tacos like sour cream or to frankly, use it as you would a cream cheese or fresh goat cheese.

1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours

¾ cup water

half of a lemon, juiced

pinch of sea salt

½ cup basil leaves

¼ cup parsley leaves

3 probiotic capsules (optional)

 

 

Instructions

In a dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic with a pinch of salt, the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more.

Once fragrant, add the broth, beans, thyme and tomatoes. With a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes so they break up, not to diced tomatoes, but bite sized pieces. Bring the pot to a boil before lowering to a simmer. Let the beans cook for 40-45 minutes or until tender, adding water to the pot as needed. If you used canned beans, you do not need to cook the soup for this long nor add water. Let the soup come to a boil and lower to a simmer for 10 minutes to get the flavors together.

 If using, add the zucchini or cauliflower and boil until tender, another 5-10 minutes respectively.  Taste and adjust the seasoning of salt and pepper to your liking. Add the kale for the last 2 minutes of cooking, or until it wilts. Remove the thyme stems before serving with a swirl of cashew cream.

Customize to your Archetype:

Nurturers: Add 5 ounces rotisserie chicken to your bowl when serving.

Wonder Women and Femme Fatales: Add 4 ounces rotisserie chicken to your bowl when serving.

Ethereals: Add ½ cup of cooked rice or quinoa when serving.

Herbed Cashew Cream

Drain and rinse the cashews thoroughly. In a high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and if using the probiotic powder, cover with a paper towel or cloth. Leave the mixture out for 6-8 hours (or overnight) to ferment before storing it into the refrigerator. If you’re not using the probiotic capsules, simply store it in a container in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a month.