Monday, March 31, 2008

Corn Minestrone - yellow yellow magic power

In the red (tomato-based) vs white (pure cream-based) world of pasta dishes...when Ms. Sexy Marinara and Ms. Sleek Carbonara are side-by-side, Ms. Sexy Marinara will always get my attention. I find it harder to make my selection in the soup world of tomato-based minestrone vs cream-based mushroom soup. These two classics are my favorites, no doubt. I'm lucky when soup du jour happens to be either minestrone or cream-of-mushroom and often fickled when there is no "Today's Soup" and I am forced to make my choice from the soup category in the menu.

I made minestrone again, but with a slight twist this time - adding corn kernels in there, lots of them.


Corn Minestrone

Ingredients:
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1-2 cups diced onion
-2 small potatoes, diced
-1 carrot, diced
-4 stems from a bunch of celery
-2-3 tomatoes, cubed/diced (option: 1 small can of diced tomatoes)
-a bowl (see picture) of corn kernels (from corn-on-the-cob, refer to collage)
- 0ne palm-full shell pasta
- dried basil and oregano
- fresh ground pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth or more, adjust accordingly
- some water, adjust accordingly

Is there lots of corn kernels to be added in my minestrone ? Remember to save some as garnish! Gives a slight crunch to the soup :) Yellow yellow magic power!


Method:
1. Saute onion. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, corn kernels, mix well for a few minutes
2. Add chopped tomatoes, add broth and 2 cups of water, bring to boil
3. Add dried shell pasta, cook 8-10mins, bring soup mixture to boil again
4. When boiling, bring down heat and allow simmer - till vegetables soften
5. Add basil and oregano when soup is almost ready
5. Add pepper and salt to taste
6. Garnish with remaining corn kernels



To me, minestrone is anytime. It is a refreshing soup in summer, a comforting soup in winter, a delectable soup for fall and welcoming soup for spring!

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