Genoese Minestrone

Well.. my dear friend Tiffany, who is a like minded culinary explorer asked me to bring her back an authentic Minestrone recipe. Genoa is a city in Italy which is known for their Minestrone, so naturally, the recipe I brought back was a Genoese one.

The Goods:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced onion
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, sliced thinly
5 oz string beans, cut italian style
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1 medium sized potato, diced
1/4 head savoy cabbage, cut finely
1 small eggplant, diced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
42 oz vegetable broth or stock (cgicken works, but since it is meant to be a vegetarian dish, to keep it authentic it, I recommend vegetable)
3 oz vermicelli
salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and basil to taste (experience taught me that spices can't really be pre-measured in a dish like this as everyone likes a differnt spice level, so season it to your taste)

The Works:

in a large pot ( you could pre-roast the stuff in a pan and then transfer, but why? you'll only loose all the goodies of taste i nthe bottom of the pan, so do this in the pot you intend to cook the soup in) heat the oil and roast the onions, carrot and celery for about 10 min, add the string beans, zucchini, potatoe, cabbage.. roast for another 3 to 5 min. Add the eggplant, cannelli beans and tomato and give it another quick roast (3 mins tops). Add the broth, season with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for about 40 min, stiring occasionally. Add the vermicelly and bring the heat back up, letting the vermicelly cook to all dente (approx. 3 to 5 min). taste and re-season as needed then serve and enjoy.