30-year-old dish that is sure to please a crowd
Food@DominionPost.com
In The Dominion Post’s ongoing Wednesday feature, Quarantine Kitchen, we highlight dishes prepared by readers, staffers and chefs at our local restaurants, in an effort to keep us connected through food.
This week, reader Sue Reall, of Terra Alta, shares a recipe for a soup that’s as delicious — and comforting — as it is simple.
“I cook with easily obtainable, reasonably priced ingredients for the most part and try to keep them as healthy as I can,” Reall said. “And I generally have the items on hand in the pantry, fridge or freezer, because it is 20 miles for me to the nearest grocery store.
“I also think if you have to cook for a family, it should be filling and not take all day to get on the table.”
Amen, Sue.
Reall said this soup is such a reliable crowd-pleaser, it has been a go-to dinner in her home for decades.
“I have used this for 30 years from a recipe I got from a magazine but have tweaked,” she said. “The original called for Italian sausage that you remove from casings and saute along with onions. You could certainly use that in place of kielbasa.
“I serve this with cornbread muffins or bread, but also make corn casserole on occasion.”
And, she adds, it makes a great lunch later, too.
“This soup keeps well and leftovers are just as good next day,” she said.
KIELBASA MINESTRONE SOUP
- 1 tablespoon of olive or other oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound kielbasa (beef, turkey or whatever you like. I have also used 1/2 pound and it turned out well) — slice this into about 1/4-inch slices
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 15.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and onions. (Or 1 can plain diced and you may want to add a little more basil or Italian herb seasoning)
- 2 to 3 cups beef broth
- 1 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1/4 medium head cabbage chopped
Note from Sue: You can add salt and pepper to taste, although I find with the kielbasa and canned tomatoes I don’t need to.
Heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven and add onions, sliced kielbasa, basil and carrots.Saute until onions are soft.
Add canned tomatoes, broth and beans and cook until it comes to a boil and simmers for about 5 minutes. Add sliced zucchini and cabbage and cover. Cook until the zucchini and cabbage are tender.
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