Leonardo’s Minestrone

Adapted from How to Think like Leonardo da Vince

A plate of soup doesn’t have to be a let down. Even though it is peasant food, it can be presented in a way to make it fit for royalty. And isn’t your family royalty? Mine is.

2 cups cooked cannellini or kidney beans

1 bunch Swiss chard, ribbon cut, pieces not longer than spoon

3 medium zucchini, ¼ inch moons, quartered
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 onions pureed

5 cloves garlic, pressed

28 oz. diced tomatoes or 4 large fresh in season

2 carrots, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1/2 small savoy cabbage, ribbon cut, pieces not longer than spoon

3 medium potatoes, diced

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ t. dried thyme, oregano, and basil

¼ c. minced fresh parsley

¼ c. minced fresh basil

dash cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

2 oz. brown rice elbows

The morning or evening before this soup is to be prepared, arrange vegetables in a bowl or basket. Smell them. Admire them. Draw them. Give thanks.

In a large soup pot over the lowest heat, sauté onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and garlic until all liquid has been evaporated and vegetables turn golden. Add potatoes and water. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Add all other ingredients except fresh herbs. Add a bit more water or broth if necessary. Simmer over low heat until zucchini and pasta tender. Add fresh herbs. Adjust salt and pepper.

Set the table nicely including some sort of centerpiece. Experience fragrance, colors, and textures, as you dish your masterpiece into soup plates. Savor the flavor. Be with your table mates 100%. Play Puccini and Pasta: A Romantic Italian Feast for Your Ears to improve the mood even more. Serve minestrone with a large green and non-sweet fruit salad with orangette and apple-blueberry-pecan crisp.

Dr. Fuhrman says let the salad be the main dish. Veggie soups are simply cooked salad.

My new vinaigrette is a lot different than the norm. Lately, vinegars seem to burn the skin off my lips and mouth. Yikes! So I've developed a milder vinaigrette that I call: 

Orangette

2 Valencia or Arizona sweet oranges, juiced

1 T. sesame seeds

1 T. cashews or soaked almonds with skins slipped off

1 t. dried herbs of choice

1 t. powdered mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Whir in a magic bullet until smooth.