As a kid I ate a lot of soup for my after school snack. Riviera Minestrone was a favorite- thick, rich & chock full of veggies & pasta. During the grocery store meltdown last week, I was unable to find it. I'm pretty sure it's no longer made (a Google search confirmed it). For tonight's dinner, I made up a version of this famous soup. There's 1 copy-cat recipe out there - it had way too many ingredients. And after a careful search I was able to find the ingredients list at Fooducate. I'm pleased with the final product. And it's pretty darn close to the original only with better ingredients! And for my vegan friends, with a few minor tweaks, you can make it yours.
"Riviera Minestrone" - adapted from Fooducate
2 large carrots - diced
4 ribs celery - diced
1 large onion - diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions - chopped
2 jalapeños - chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
6 cloves garlic - choped
1/2 lb lentils - rinsed
2 cans kidney beans - rinsed
1 ham hock
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
6 cups of chicken stock
1 cup macaroni (elbows, mini shells, or salad)
1 bag of cruciferous salad mix (a combo of chopped kale, cabbage, red cabbage & Brussel sprouts will work too)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a stockpot, over medium heat, sauté carrots, celery & onion in olive oil until soft. Add green onions, jalapeños & garlic - stir until soft. Add lentils, beans, ham hock & Italian seasoning. Cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover & simmer for 1hr. Meanwhile soak macaroni in bowl with boiling water until it is soft. Rinse & drain; set aside.
After 1hr, remove ham hock bones & meat, set aside. Remove 2 cups of the mixture & blend smooth; add mixture to the pot. (I used an immersion blender & pureed the soup in a few spots)
Discard ham hock bones & shred meat; return to pot. Add cruciferous mix & simmer for another 45 minutes. Add softened macaroni. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
*This soup is really thick...stick your inverted spoon thick! Just like the original. If you want it a little thiner, add some additional stock or water
**To make a vegan version:
- Omit the ham hocks - replace with 1 tablespoon good quality smoked paprika
- Replace chicken stock with your favorite vegetable stock or water
