Minestrone made with peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes
( Minestrone Dauno )

Recipe for Apulian minestrone

Preparation

• - Prepare all vegetables.
  Begin with sweet peppers. Clean, wash, quarter them. Remove their seeds and cut into large pieces. Look at the photo for the size of this and other vegetables.
  Clean and wash parsley and basil. Pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper and put apart.
  Chop onions.
  Wash and peel tomatoes, remove their seeds and cut into large pieces.
  Peel and slice potatoes.
  At last wash and cut aubergines.

Cooking

• - Put all vegetables included sugar in a large pot, except aromatic herbs.
  Season to taste with salt and pepper, if liked.
  Begin cooking, half-covered.
  Stir now and then.
  A bit of water will be produced but it isn't enough to complete cooking.
  Add some boiling water every time you see cooking juice is too reduced.
  Continue cooking until all vegetables are tender.
  A minute before turning off the stove, cut in basil and parsley.
  Turn off the stove, add olive oil and stir.

Just before serving

• - Your minestrone is ready!
• - You can serve it hot, warm or at room temperature.
• - Accompany it with a little bowl full of grated Parmesan or Pecorino to sprinkle on the top.

Note

Tips

• - Choose minestrone ingredients very well.
  I prefer young fresh onions.
  The best eggplants are elongated variety for this recipe.
  Use fleshy bell peppers.
• - Dauno minestrone is a typical dish of Daunia that is the northern part of Apulia (Tavoliere, Gargano and Dauno mountains).
  Daunia is also called Capitanata in Apulia.
  Vegetables are used very much in Capitanata recipes and this minestrone is an example of Daunia cuisine.
• - I must clarify my recipe is lightly different from other ones explained on other websites. In fact I do not make soffritto that is I do not fry onion in olive oil before adding all other vegetables. If you like this method, you can make the first step this way using a garlic clove too. Then you have to add all vegetables, flavor them, stirring frequently some minutes, and then pouring some boiling water into the pot, a little at a time.
• - How long to cook? It depends on your taste.

Menu planning

• - Apulian minestrone is a typical Italian vegetarian recipe. It is a vegan dish if eaten without cheese.
• - You can prepare it for your family menu and add other courses too because it is low in calories.

Healthy cooking

• - This is a dish typical of the Mediterranean diet, well balanced from all points of view. Take advantage of the vegetables when they are in their proper season. The doses are correct.
  The fibers are 11.5g per serving. Just over a third of the recommended daily quota.

What's the right wine for " Minestrone made with peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes "?

Pair Cirò Rosato (wine of Calabria) to this minestrone from Apulia.