Tonight we had a lettuce salad, Italian Minestrone, and bread.
Now I know that my Minestrone may not be true Italian Minestrone because it’s lacking cabbage and Italian sausage. The fact is, I didn’t have any Italian sausage because I’m not Italian. But I did have venison sausage because I’m a North Dakotan, and my husband hunts. Every fall he shoots a deer, hangs it, guts it, cuts it up, and then has his butcher process it for us. Hence venison sausage.
So maybe, I ought to call it North Dakotan Minestrone?
Now what to drink with this soup? I understand soup is difficult to pair with wine. I looked it up and came across two suggestions. The first was a sparkling red. Well, I didn’t have any sparkling red. Next, I read that a Sangiovese will do, with the most popular Sangiovese around here being Chianti. Alas, but I was fresh out of Chianti.
What to do?
Some of you may be wondering what I did have in the wine rack? Only a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. And when all else fails and one only has a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, one drinks Cabernet Sauvignon.
Notice the bread in the picture? I bought it from our local bakery, Bread Poets. They buy wheat from the farmers around here and grind (or should I say mill?) it themselves. It’s the best. This particular loaf is stuffed with tomato sauce and pepperonis. Who wouldn’t like that?
Recipe for “Italian” Sausage Minestrone
Ingredients
1 lb. “Italian” Sausage
2 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
7 cups chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup small pasta
shredded Parmesan for serving
Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
In the same pan, saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in everything else, except pasta and Parmesan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Put the pasta in the last 5 or 6 minutes. Serve with Parmesan.
