Minestrone - Laura's recipe

This is my mother's version of minestrone, the way I continue cooking it for my own family.

Pumpkin based minestrone, the only way to eat it, if you ask me. It's comforting, hearty, and so incredibly satisfying. If you're looking for a wholesome, nourishing soup that will keep you feeling full and content for hours, this is it, trust me. I also use this recipe on a "meal prep Sunday", having this soup in the fridge for me to dive into throughout the week, is a great way to stay healthy.

I grew up eating and loving this soup. Mum always made her minestrone with a pumpkin base, so naturally, that's what I came to know and love. I still remember ordering minestrone while dining out one day, only to discover it was tomato-based. I was genuinely shocked. It was so different from the rich, creamy pumpkin version I'd grown up with, I enjoyed it but, I missed my mama's soup.

To this day, pumpkin-based minestrone remains my favourite, it's a bowl full of comfort, nostalgia, and everything I love about home cooking.

Recipe:

1/2 a Kent pumpkin

2 cups of cauliflower

2 cups of diced cabbage

1 onion

1 cup of edamame or green peas

2 carrots

1 large zucchini or 2 if smaller

1/2 cup soup mix (mixture of dried beans, split peas and lentils)

2 tablespoons of veggie stock

1 tablespoon of salt

1/2 teaspoons of turmeric powder

Method

1. Boil diced pumpkin until soft and ready to mash.

Once ready to drain, reserve the water.

2. Mash the pumpkin in your slow cooker

4. Pour 400mls of the reserved water into a measuring jug.

Then add veggies stock and turmeric, mix, then pour over pumpkin.

5. Add all remaining ingredients

6. Set slow cooked on high heat, for 3 hours. If your out for the day, throw it all in your slow cooker, set it on low and it’ll be ready when you get home, just don’t skip step 1 & 2.

Extra notes:

Before chopping your veggies, and preparing your ingredients, place your soup mix into a heat proof bowl and pour boiled water over it to start the cooking process, unless you’re organised (unlike me) and have it sitting in a bowl with water, over night.

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#minestrone #winterfood

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has over the years. I would genuinely love to hear from you, and even better, see your photos. If you give it a try, please do share your results, my mum would be incredibly honoured to know her cooking continues to inspire others, just as it has inspires me.

Warm regards,

Jennifer xoxo

Healthy Habits with JenWalsh ❤️