Springtime Minestrone Soup

YIELD: 4 servings                PREP TIME: 10 min            COOKING TIME: 18 min

 

 Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Spice Your Life unflavored Olive Oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced small
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 2 medium carrots, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 mini-potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick (they do not need to be peeled)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• ¾ teaspoon Spice Your Life Turkish Spice Rub
• ¼ teaspoon Spice Your Life Aleppo Chili Flakes
• ½ teaspoon Spice Your Life Tuscan Herb Seasoning (or more to taste)
• 12 medium asparagus spears, chopped into ¾ inch lengths
• 1 ½ cup snap peas, cut longitudinally so that individual peas inside are sliced in half
• ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pesto
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• chopped Italian Parsley and grated Parmesan Cheese to serve 

Instructions: 

In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the celery, onion, and carrots until they are translucent (~3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, Aleppo Pepper flakes, and bring the pot to a boil Then reduce heat and simmer gently with the lid partially on the pot for 10 minutes. Net add the asparagus, snap peas and simmer for 5 more minutes. Finally, stir in the parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pesto and season with salt, pepper, and additional ground Tuscan Herb Seasoning to taste. Serve with fresh pesto and extra parmesan on top.

Notes:

For the best presentation, serve immediately after the end of cooking time when the peas and asparagus are still a lovely bright green color. If the potatoes you use are bigger than golf ball size, cut them in half or quarters before you slice them so they will be bite-sized. This soup does not freeze well because the potatoes lose their creamy texture. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

 

Aleppo Chili Flakes

Turkish Spice Rub

Tuscan Herb Seasoning