Main Dishes,  Recipes,  Soups

Minestrone

March 10, 2023 / 4 Comments
     What is better than a piping hot bowl of really good soup on a rainy, and cold winter’s day? A piece of crusty French bread to go with it!      
     Simmering all day on the stove,  waiting to be ladled up to my family as they make their way home from work or school.  One of our family’s favorite soups is a classic Minestrone. Loaded with lots of vegetables, hearty pasta, and delicious broth,  It always hits the spot on days like today.  It’s easy to make, delicious, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying! 
     When I was a kid, my mom would go by her favorite Italian restaurant and purchase big tubs of Minestrone soup, and it was always a treat! My mom is a great cook, but I don’t think she ever really made Minestrone. We always bought it from Vera’s Villa Valona Restaurant in Crockett, CA. It was a popular place with a view of the Carquinez Straits and the bridges that connect Solano and Contra Costa County.  My mom is also an amazing singer / songwriter / entertainer and she actually worked at this restaurant in the 70’s entertaining the guest with her music. (But that is for another blog post, or two, or three! lol)  She still orders Minestrone whenever she see’s it on a menu. Quite a few years ago, I tried my hand at making it and it was a hit! This is a recipe that you will make time and time again, and the family will always be thankful for it. This soup reminds me of my childhood, and maybe that is another reason why I love it so much. Hopefully my kids will continue the tradition of Minestrone Soup on a cold, rainy day when they are cooking for a family of their own. 
 
Old Matchbook for Vera's. Currently "The Dead Fish" in Crockett, CA
Music publicity picture of my beautiful Mother
Original Menu, the Minestrone was $3.00 for a Gallon!
Carquinez Straits and Bridge
View from Vera's, aka The Dead Fish, Crockett, CA . Prime location is perfect for an upper scale restaurant.
Ingredients: 
  1. 1 lg Zucchinni
  2. 2 Potatoes
  3. 2 Carrots
  4. 2 Stalks Celery
  5. 1 Medium Onion
  6. 1 Green Bell Pepper
  7. 1 Red Bell Pepper
  8. 1 cup chopped frozen of fresh Spinach
  9. 1 can Green Beans
  10. 1 can Kidney Beans
  11. 1 can White Beans (Cannellini, Great Northern or even Garbanzo Beans) 
  12. 1 lg can diced Tomatoes
  13. Vegetable Broth or Chicken Broth or both. 
  14. Fresh or dried Herbs; Oregano, Basil, Thyme
  15. Salt & Pepper
  16. Small Shells Pasta or your favorite pasta
There are many versions of Minestrone, you can add or subtract your favorite ingredients to make it pleasing to your family. Some people like to add Italian Sausage or omit herbs they don't like. It's a very versatile soup and completely customizable
1. Chop Onions & Potatoes in bite size pieces set aside, as these will be sauted first.
2. Clean and dice all veggies to similar size
3. Sautee onions and potatoes in a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil and a pat of butter, until a little color develops on the potatoes about 5-7 minutes. Add other fresh vegetables and continue sauteing for another 5-7 minutes. This step adds a little depth of flavor.
4. After sauteing vegetables, add large can of diced Tomatoes and then broth
5. Add 6 cups of broth, you can use Chicken broth, Vegetable Broth or a combination. I like using half Chicken broth and half of this Vegetable Base broth. It is very flavorful, but has a lot of sodium, so taste before you add more salt. You can also add more broth if you like you like more liquid. Bring soup to a boil, turn heat to medium and let it slowly boil for about an hour until all veggies are soft, but not too mushy. Add herbs at this point too. Below is chopped Basil, Thyme and Oregano
6. Add chopped spinach
7. Drain and rinse all canned beans, add to soup and continue to boil for about 30 more minutes.
8. Add cooked pasta shells to soup about 15 minutes before ready to serve. Do not add grated parmesan to soup pot, it is to top each bowl with.
 While soup is cooking on the stove, in a separate pot cook some pasta until aldente, about 10 minutes for most pasta. I use small shells, but have used any small pasta I might have on hand. Drain and set aside, you will add the pasta lastly to the soup.   Also, grate some fresh parmesan cheese and set aside. 
Ladle up big bowls of this wonderful soup and top with a little fresh parmesan cheese and a crusty piece of toasted French bread. Hope you enjoy it and it warms your insides after a long, cold day!
This recipe makes a very large pot of soup!  It freezes nicely, and you can add more broth if it absorbs too much of the liquid.  It’s a great meal by itself or a wonderful  addition to an Italian dinner, sometimes I serve it with a side of my Italian Meatballs or with a nice salad or salami sandwich. If you try it, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think! Thank you for visiting my blog! 

 

 

I sustain myself with the love of family.  — Maya Angelou

My mom, brothers & I 1978 ish. Dad must have took the picture.

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4 Comments

  • Patricia Little

    June 13, 2023 at 1:11 am Reply

    I don’t know why, but today, for some reason, I had a sudden flash of memory and saw myself as a small child sitting next to my Auntie Emily and Uncle Italo Gondola, in one of the big booths at Vera’s in Crockett. I was eating spumoni ice cream, having the worst craving for it today, and I could remember the distinctively delicious smell from the minestrone soup that used to permeate the entire restaurant. I loved everything about Vera’s. As a child it was my favorite place to go with the family for celebration dinners. It was exciting to get dressed up and drive over from Vallejo. The Carquinez bridge and the water could be seen out the enormous picture windows and everything about the place made me happy…especially the Shirley Temple’s!

    Thank you so much for sharing your minestrone memories from Vera’s. I miss that place and the warm hospitality my family always felt there.

  • Vintagevirgie

    June 23, 2023 at 7:36 pm Reply

    Patricia
    Thank you so much for your awesome comment! Yes Vera’s holds a special place in my memories, and time spent with my family. Apparently I’m not the only one! Dryers makes a yummy spumoni, if you can find it! If you’d like to subscribe to my blog, you’ll get an email when I post something new. Thank you again for the kind words and sharing your memory too!

  • Becky

    September 19, 2023 at 8:42 pm Reply

    I was thrilled to find your recipe! I was thinking about “Vera’s minestrone and looking for something similar. I decided to give the “Vera” search a try. Thanks for sharing your memory, which is very similar to mine and the recipe. From Pinole, CA now in NJ.

  • John Indelicato

    December 19, 2023 at 5:05 pm Reply

    Great memories of Vera’s Minestroni! My father would often pick-up a gallon of soup on the way home from work (Vallejo), we lived in El Sobrante.

    *We were stunned when Vera’s was closed (for the reasons provided). If my memory serves me, somebody noticed an abundance of dog food cans at the site, and reported it. Not the way to treat your customer base, for sure. Cheers,

    -John

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