Discover Italy's best-kept secret: A delectable, easy minestrone recipe.

Italians are renowned for mastering pasta, meat, and pizza. However, Italian cuisine transcends the realm of gluten. Vegetables stand at the core of nearly every dish, with minestrone being a prime example. This soup is Italy's answer to the beloved traditional vegetable soup.

Italian cuisine is simple, affordable, nutritious, and incredibly flavorful. However, it is often misunderstood as being primarily about pasta and pizza. In truth, Italy boasts a rich tradition of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well.

If you appreciate Italian cuisine, you should consider trying to make minestrone. This vegetable soup is hearty, fragrant, and easy to prepare, and you probably already have the necessary ingredients in your kitchen.

Italian cuisine is celebrated for its variety, including pasta, pizzas, and desserts. Now, it's time to explore the lesser-known world of Italian soups. True to form, many of them feature tomatoes, unrivalled in flavour when grown under the warm Italian sun.

Tomato-based dishes are pivotal in Italian cuisine. The most famed soup is the tomato cream, often served with mozzarella or croutons. In certain areas, this creamy soup gives way to a lighter tomato broth, enriched with ingredients like eggplant (Tuscan soup) or beans (ribollita).

And then there is minestrone, a straightforward vegetable soup that includes beans, onions, celery, and carrots. Each Italian 'mamma' has her unique twist on it. Minestrone is especially popular when it's time to clear out the fridge. For fans of Italian food, it is a must-try.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of broth (e.g., vegetable)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• 1 onion
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Oil
• A can of white beans
• A package of tomato passata
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried thyme
• A handful of grated Parmesan cheese
• Optionally: pasta, croutons

Preparation:

1. Clean the zucchini, onion, celery, carrot, and parsnip. Peel and chop them into cubes. Heat some oil and sauté these vegetables in a large pot for about 5 minutes. Then, add the broth and simmer until the vegetables are slightly tender.
2. Reduce the liquid slightly before incorporating the tomato passata, pressed garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and beans. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Serve the soup in bowls, topped with grated Parmesan and, if you like, crunchy croutons or pasta.