Serves 4
When Italians came to Peru many years ago, they brought with them their traditional dishes. These were quickly adopted by local cooks, who created Peruvianized versions of many of them, including the classic minestrone, which became the homey menestrón.
4 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, or water
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion or leek, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup turnip, chopped
1 cup green beans
1 cup baby lima beans
1 cup potato, peeled and chopped
1 cup yucca, peeled and chopped
1 cup cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 cup giant kernel corn, or regular white corn
½ cup fresh white cheese, in cubes
Salt and pepper
1 cup small pasta, like penne or rigatoni
For the sauce:
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup basil leaves
1 cup spinach
Salt and pepper
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the celery, onion or leek, garlic, carrot, turnip, green beans, lima beans, potato, yucca, cabbage, and corn, with water or stock to cover. When everything is tender, (about 35 minutes), season with salt and pepper. It will be very tasty. If you want to add some herbs while cooking, feel free to do so—parsley, bay leaf, or cilantro are some flavorful additions.
2. Add the pasta and cook for a few minutes longer, according to the package instructions.
3. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the basil and spinach, stir until wilted, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Pour into the soup.
4. Cook the soup for another 5 minutes, just to heat it through, and serve.
There is nothing like a home made stock to enhance the flavor of this soup. Make yours when you have enough vegetables and or chicken bones in the fridge. Strain, cool, and freeze in ice cube trays. Transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen until needed.