Blue Zones Minestrone

Ainekset

1/ground beef (or lamb or chicken)

3 lbs dry garbanzo beans

1/3 lbs dry white beans

1/3 lbs dry pinto or red beans

1 ½ cups 1-2” cubed potatoes

½ cup of pearl barley (not quick cook)

6-8 cups of water or veg stock if you like it richer. I use 1 Tbs “Better than Bouillon” Vegetable Base

1 medium onion, chopped

5 stalks celery chopped

5 carrots, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped,

1 bay leaf

1 tsp oregano

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp red or black pepper (red makes it hotter)

1 – 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes or 5 Roma tomatoes

Salt to taste

Ohjeet

I like to soak beans overnight or if you forget, Microwave dry beans in a bowl of water as you chop the other ingredients.

Sauté all vegetables in olive oil over low heat until onions are clear.

Add beans and a can of tomatoes, potatoes, oregano, bay leaf and slow cook until beans are tender.

I let it cook on extremely low heat all day, adjusting water so it’s thicker than a soup and thinner than a stew. (For quicker soup pressure cook or use an instapot for 5 minuets and let cooker cool naturally)

Finish with avocado when serving.

Freeze leftovers in single-serving glass Tupperware.