• Can of kernel corn
• Can of green peas
• Can of cut green beans
• Can of sliced carrots
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Can of cannellini beans
• 10-12 cocktail onions
• Jar of roasted garlic and basil tomato sauce
• 1 medium zucchini (sliced, quartered)
• Seasoned salt
• Ground pepper
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Basil
• About 2 cups of water
• 1/2 pound of Ditalini pasta (cooked separately)

All of that just barely fit into Rick's crock pot (actually, there was some overflow), but any big crock pot or pot that you can put on the stove will do.

Directions, Suggestions, Notes and Tips:

IMPORTANT: Drain the water from the cans of vegetables, except for the tomatoes and possibly the cannelli beans, as they may come packed with flavorful juices. Most canned vegetables contain water and possibly preservatives, which you don't want in your soup. Some pickier cooks may want to wash the vegetables in a colander before committing to the pot.

Throw all of the ingredients into your pot and heat to a boil. Ideally, the liquid in the pot will be slightly more than enough to cover all the vegetables. Stir, to get everything combined well. Reduce heat and simmer for at least two hours, the first uncovered, then covered. Stir every 15 or 20 minutes. Add more water or broth if needed.

By the time this all cooks up, it will be heavy with vegetables. Adding water to make it more soupy is a matter of personal taste and style.

IMPORTANT: Cook pasta separately as it will cook faster than the vegetables if included in the soup and will fall apart of not be as al dente as most people would like.

Ditalini pasta was used in this recipe, though it may be difficult to acquire for some cooks. In Eastern Tennessee, it is labeled as Salad Pasta at local Food City stores. It's a Southern thing. Italian food is still considered exotic in some parts of the South, plus "Salad Pasta" is easier to say than "Ditalini". Other pastas can be substituted. Suggestions include rotini, farfale (bowties), penne, shells. It's a cook's preference.

Depending on preference, cooks may want to slice vegetables into smaller pieces, especially the carrots, zucchini, and onions, especially the onions, if they're pearl onions. Quartering them will provide smaller bits and also release their flavor.

The can of diced tomatoes for this recipe was Italian Style, with the tomatoes in olive oil and spices.

The zucchini was the only item that was fresh, only because Rick couldn't find canned zucchini at the store.

Note that this particular recipe did not include any chicken stock but turned out very well, probably due to the thick tomato sauce and the olive oil in the can of diced tomatoes. Chicken stock will thicken the soup and add flavor.

Cooks can substitute just about any vegetable in and out of the recipe. Many call for Garbanzo beans, but other substitutions range from diced potatoes, sliced asparagus, to any of the bean varieties (black, kidney, navy, lima, etc.).

The one way to screw up your own Minestrone Soup is to add too much salt. Go easy on the salt, taste while cooking, add as desired or serve as is, allowing diners to season to taste.

Note that as far as seasoning is concerned, Rick does not measure. Oregano, parsley, basil, and pepper are essential since this is an Italian soup, so make it taste Italian. Rougly half a teaspoon of each spice is a good guideline.

This is very easy. Anybody can make this soup with simple ingredients and a minimum of cooking skill. It can be stored refrigerated for roughly seven days, or frozen in containers for up to a year with no loss of flavor or ill effects.

Minestrone Soup is well served piping hot with crackers and Parmesan cheese on the side. Yum!

Here are a couple of other Minestrone Soup recipes that popped up on the internet. There are literally hundreds of them.

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery finely diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup red or white wine (optional)
• 2 cans (14.5 ounce each) less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) less-sodium garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite cut tomatoes (no-added salt)
• 1 can (15 ounces) zucchini and tomatoes in tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 ounces) sliced potatoes, drained, rinsed
• 1/2 cup dry small pasta, such as macaroni
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated aged Cheddar cheese or Parmesan (optional)
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add wine, cook 1 minute scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
3. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook 2-3 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. (Don’t overcook, macaroni will continue to soften after soup is removed from heat)
4. Serve with cheese and/or parsley.

Minestrone Soup using Frozen Vegetables

Grab any cans of veggies you have on hand. I use a general formula of: 2 cans of any veggie + 1 can beans +  1 can tomatoes (preferably flavored with oregano and/or garlic),

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup frozen pearl onions, defrosted 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

3 large cloves garlic, cut into rounds 

1 large Idaho potato, skin on, diced 

Kosher salt 

One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes 

One 15-ounce can great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 

Half of a 1-pound bag frozen peas, defrosted 

Half of a 1-pound bag frozen corn, defrosted 

3 large stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced 

1/2 cup pesto, for garnish 

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish 

Garlic bread, for serving, optional 

Directions

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, garlic and potatoes with a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 2 cups water and continue cooking until the tomatoes start to break down and mellow out, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the beans, peas, corn and celery and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a few dollops of pesto and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread on the side if desired.

Cook’s Note

This is really about frozen vegetables because you may sometimes have a few bags or half bags hanging around and need a way to use them up. You can mix and match vegetables here or double up on one and remove another. The celery at the end adds crunch and varies the texture. Make sure all frozen vegetables are defrosted and drained of excess liquid. We are not cooking frozen vegetables. They are already cooked. We are warming them for an instant and eating them.

Your ad could be in the next issue of idleguy.com for as little as $6 per month. Contact Fearless Rick using the form on page 12 for more information.

Visit the IDLEGUY.COM MARKETPLACE for vintage magazines, Swell Gifts for Guys and other masculine merchandise.

Got something to sell? Registration is free and there are no fees to sell on the idleguy.com marketplace.