Channeling Julia

The Roman Army is said to have marched on minestrone which at the time was thought to be a thick soup made from anything (vegetables, beans, meat) that had been leftover. Historians argue this point with one school of thought saying the dish had always been prepared with fresh vegetables (not leftovers) even in pre-Roman times.

In Italy today there is still no set recipe for minestrone which is a thick soup usually made with beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock and tomatoes. Pasta or rice are common additional ingredients and the soup sometimes contains meat. The preparation and the ingredients themselves vary from region to region with dried vegetables and lentils being used in some locations and only seasonal fresh vegetables being used in others.

The introduction of tomatoes and potatoes to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century changed the recipe significantly from the original. These two vegetables are staples in most variations of minestrone and it can be said that the true recipe emerged during the 16th and 17th century.