Minestra di Magro

Minestra di Magro

Soups of the following sort I make throughout the year but with greater frequency during Lent. In my estimation, they are substantial enough to constitute a complete meal.



The first step is to flavour some olive oil with garlic and/or onion; I often throw in some very piquant dried chiles. Pictured below are some potatoes, cut into chunks, which have been added...


... to be followed by a well-washed and crudely chopped head of curly endive on this occasion. Any very flavourful green will do and a combination of greens can be nice too. But no matter what, the greens should be plentiful and a major component of the dish.


Then some water and salt goes into the pot or pan and the mixture is brought to a boil and set to simmer. As the potatoes approach being properly cooked, I added some beans (often I start with dried beans and soak and cook them myself, though I also use canned beans with no qualms). On this occasion, I also included two kinds of small pasta: some Italian acini di pepe and some Greek sour trahanes. In addition, I tossed in some chunks of Cretan barley rusk (paximadia – these are the light brown bits that can be seen).


I like to finish a soup like this with some freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of very flavourful olive oil. A little dusting of grated cheese can also be a nice addition; on this occasion, we used some myzithra.


A very satisfying dish.

Antonius


Links to other recipes and cooking notes by this writer: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=55649#55649