Potato And Carrot Soup / minestra di patate e carote

This is a first course recipe or primi piatti in Italian.

In Italian cuisine, first courses have always occupied a very important place. All the more so if you are a vegetarian in which meat and fish are excluded, the first courses often became the main dish and it can also take on the role of single dish.
The gastronomic tradition of Italy has already included, for a long time, many vegetarian first courses: from the classic minestrone, to pasta with pesto, to risotto with vegetables, to potato gnocchi and of course this one.

Potato and carrot soup / Minestra di patate e carote

Servings: 6-8
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This recipe is a typical soup from the region of Trentino, Northern Italy (Trentino, officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is a province of Italy, in the north east of the country.) A warm and delicious vegetable pureed creamy soup perfect to be eaten for a winter dinner or lunch.

Credit: Adapted from a recipe in the book “Cookery Around the World: ITALY” by Miranda Alberti for Time Life Books.

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes peeled and washed and cut into bite size pieces.
3 large carrots trimmed and peeled and cut into small pieces.
2 sticks celery, trimmed and peeled, wash and cut into 2 cm long pieces
1 large onion, trimmed, peeled and chopped finely.
30 g butter
2 litres hot vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150 g ditalini, macheroni or other short pasta
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 sage leaves, washed
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
80 g freshly grated hard vegetarian cheese

Method

Parboil the vegetables in a steamer or in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large stock pot melt the butter, add the onion and sauté until transparent stirring frequently.
Gradually add the potatoes, carrots and celery to the onion and toss the vegetables in the hot butter. Add the stock, season with a pinch of salt and stir thoroughly. Cover the saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the stock. Purée them through a sieve or in a food blender and return the purée to the stock pot.
Stir to incorporate the purée, bring the soup back to the boil, then add the pasta and simmer over low heat until the pasta is al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes).
Heat the oil in a small frying pan on a low heat, add the garlic and sage, and fry briefly stirring often. Take care not to burn the garlic. Stir into the soup, and season with pepper.
Serve into warmed bowls with the grated cheese and, if you like, crusty bread.

Produced by John Fletcher @ http://www.johnstastesofitaly.com