Week 259: Autumn Minestrone

Hello!!

On the menu for TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22nd is AUTUMN MINESTRONE & SPICY CHEESE BREAD. Minestrone means "Big Soup" to Italians .... a healthy and hearty soup packed with lots of goodies, like seasonal veggies, pasta and beans. The word minestrone stems from Minestra, which means to "dish up" or "serve".....and I'm happy to dish up a big pot of this to your family!!

The soup begins with browning Italian sausage in the pot along with onions, carrots and garlic. Once the meat is browned and veggies are softened, homemade chicken stock, butternut squash, zucchini, diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary and thyme are added.

After the soup simmers, ditalini pasta, bright green kale and red kidney beans are dropped in. The soup is garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. This minestrone can easily be made without the sausage, you can select to omit the sausage when ordering.

My bread companion this week is my SPICY CHEESE BREAD. This chewy, cheesy bread is legendary in Wisconsin and incorporates red pepper flakes into both the dough and the topping to give it a spicy kick. This flavorful bread will taste delicious alongside this fall soup.