A Veggie-Packed Minestrone Soup For Spring

Whenever I’m thinking about affordable, healthy recipes, I always turn to ethnic dishes that are traditionally considered “peasant” food.

The Romans, in particular, were notoriously frugal. Many classic dishes like this minestrone soup evolved to be vegetarian or vegetable-centric by necessity. Instead of pounds of meat, this one-pot wonder is centered around just a few seasonal ingredients and rounded out with pantry grains or legumes for fiber, bulk, and hardiness.

You can easily make this recipe vegan, but my idea of a one-pot wonder caters to the omnivore with a little bit of everything: a modest amount of lean animal protein; fiber-rich budget-friendly beans; and plenty of spring fennel, carrots, and herbs.

If you can’t find chicken or turkey sausage at the butcher counter, you can always make your own (hint: you’ll save even more money this way and control all the additives)!

You can throw in some short-shaped pasta (I like quinoa elbows) or leafy greens (like chard or kale) to add even more variety and bulk to this one-pot wonder.

Serves 4

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Brown the sausage over high heat, breaking up the meat with your spatula to form small clusters, until cooked through and beginning to crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.

2. Add the onions, carrots, and fennel to the sausage drippings. Sauté over medium-high heat until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the tomato chunks have softened, 5 minutes. Add the cooked sausage, stock, salt, and beans to the pot. Bring to a boil.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, until the flavors have incorporated.