Melis Family Minestrone
A Very Simple Dal
Spring Green Soup
Shop list:
Produce
1 small fennel bulb
2 medium yellow or white onions
2 medium carrots
2 medium celery stalks
9 garlic cloves
3 medium yellow potatoes
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
small bunch basil
small bunch tarragon
a few sprigs marjoram or oregano
1 finger ginger (for 1 tablespoon minced)
1 pound dark leafy greens (whatever you prefer - spinach, collards, chard, kale…)
2 or more teaspoons of lemon or lime juice
1 jalapeño chili
2 large ripe avocados
2 limes
Pantry
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cranberry beans (or Cannellini or northern)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 13.5-oz can full fat coconut milk
2/3 cup Sardinian fregula, Israeli couscous, or acini di pepe pasta
1 cup dry red lentils
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
chili oil
Spices
2 teaspoons ground cumin (or seeds if you have a grinder or mortar or pestle)
2 teaspoons ground coriander (or seeds if you have a grinder or mortar or pestle)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (optional)
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Other
Small container plain yogurt (to serve on dal)
1 ½ pounds salmon and/or cod OR a can of chickpeas for the green soup
Melis Family Minestrone
(adapted from Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones)
Serves 4
Traditionally, this soup is made with whatever is growing in the garden, but it always includes beans and fregula, a toasted pebble-size semolina pasta that is popular in Sardinia. Fregula can be purchased at Italian markets or online. If you can’t find fregula, any tiny pasta, such as Israeli couscous or acini di pepe, will do. This version also takes a little time to cook; longer cooking time melds the flavors and enhances the bioavailability of more nutrients, such as the lycopene in tomatoes and carotenoids and other antioxidants. A shorter cooking time will make a tasty dish as well, but nutritionally inferior. Traditionally, the minestrone is accompanied with slices of pane carasau, or Sardinian flat bread.
TECHNIQUE TIP: Use the stalks and fronds that come off a fennel bulb for the most intense flavor. No feathery fronds on the bulb? Add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to the aromatic vegetables you sauté to begin the dish.
SWAP OPTION: You can vary the beans in the minestrone: pinto beans make a good substitute for cranberry beans or try northern or cannellini beans. Add other fresh vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage, green beans and cauliflower or broccoli florets. Stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste for a stronger tomato flavor.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2/3 cup)
2 medium celery stalks, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups)
1 small fennel head, chopped (bulbs, stalks, and fronds)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 15-ounce can cranberry beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
6-8 cups water
2/3 cup Sardinian fregula, Israeli couscous, or acini di pepe pasta
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery; cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, potatoes, fennel, parsley and basil, as well as the drained beans and chickpeas. Add enough water (about 6 to 8 cups) so that everything is submerged by 1 inch.
4. Raise the heat to high and bring pot to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the pasta, salt and pepper. Add up to 2 cups of water if the soup seems too dry. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
A Very Simple Dal
This quick and comforting dal comes together easily and freezes well, so I always make a double batch. Black pepper enhances turmeric’s benefits, while ginger supports digestion. For fresher, more vibrant flavor, I buy whole coriander and cumin seeds, toast them in a dry skillet, and grind them in a spice-dedicated coffee grinder. A pinch of asafoetida, often used in Indian cooking, adds even more depth. If you’re looking for high-quality spices, Burlap & Barrel and Diaspora Co. are both excellent sources.
You can also add vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, or zucchini for extra texture, flavor, and nutrition. Stir them in when you add the lentils and water, allowing them to soften and absorb the flavors as the dal simmers.
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons ghee, oil or butter, or a combination
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry red lentils
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 13.5-oz can full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
* ½ pound greens (spinach, chard, kale…), coarsely chopped
2 or more teaspoons of lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Yogurt and chili oil (link to my favorite) for serving, optional
1. Pour the lentils onto a white surface, like a plate, and sift through them to remove any debris. Thoroughly rinse the lentils with water and drain.
2. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large pot over medium. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, 2 cups of water, and salt and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any lentils that stick to the bottom of the pot, for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Add a little hot water if you prefer it thinner and continue to cook if you prefer it thicker.
3. Stir in the greens, and cook until they are wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon or lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like. Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and if you are using, a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of chili oil.
* If you use greens that have thick ribs and stems like collards or kale, I recommend separating them from the leaves, chopping them finely, and adding them to the pot when you add the lentils. (You can add them into the skillet or pot with the ginger and garlic but then you’ll need to increase the amount of ghee, butter or oil.) If you’d like to maintain some crunch, add them after about 15 minutes so they simmer to soften some but don’t fully blend in.
Spring Green Soup
I shared this recipe with my friend who is a personal chef and she’s been making it weekly for her client for months. Her client likes it with chickpeas, the original version I developed included fish - you choose :)
Serves 4 – 6
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more to taste
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 jalapeño chili, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (optional)
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
10 cups (about ½ pound) dark leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, collards)
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1 cup roughly chopped mint
1/4 cup roughly chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons roughly chopped marjoram or oregano
2 large avocados (1 roughly chopped, 1 for serving)
1 ½ pounds salmon and/or cod (cut into bite-sized cubes; optional)
2 limes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika, and white pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 8 minutes. Be sure the onions do not brown.
Add 5 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the greens, herbs, and avocado, and turn off the heat.
Using an immersion blender or in batches in a traditional blender, process half the soup.
If you are including fish, add it to the soup and simmer for about 5 minutes, until it is just barely cooked through, then remove from heat. The fish will continue to cook in the hot soup, so it is better to remove from the heat before it’s cooked through than to overcook it. If you are not including fish, simmer soup for 5 minutes.
Stir in the juice of one lime and add salt, pepper and olive oil to taste. Add water if needed to thin soup to desired consistency. Serve with wedge of lime and garnish with additional avocado and a pinch of herbs.