Warm Soup on a Cold Winter’s Day: A Cozy Modern Proper Recipe Review
Why This Recipe Caught My Eye
The first time I made this recipe was just after our first significant snow of the season here on Long Island. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the blue skies were deceptive. The temperature dropped below zero, and an icy wind blew so strong that it could even be felt through the closed kitchen windows. I knew we’d want something warm and hearty for dinner, but was also looking to keep it relatively healthy (it was the new year after all). I also thought it would be great to use up some of the veggies in the fridge. The Modern Proper’s Minestrone Soup with Basil Pesto to the rescue.
Found on page 244 of their book The Modern Proper: Simple Dinners for Every Day, this soup was exactly what I had hoped it would be. It thickened to a hearty, almost stew-like consistency and smelled like heaven as it bubbled on the stove. It tasted even better!
My Experience Making It
This recipe comes together easily. A little chopping is really all it takes! Well, and maybe a little extra dicing if you’re like me and don’t have a can of diced tomato on hand. But even that was fine (minus the mess I made!). I simply used a can of whole peeled tomatoes and chopped them up myself.
Pro tip: I made this recipe early afternoon and then had to run out for a bit. When I returned, the now-cooled ditalini macaroni had absorbed every last drop of the soup liquid while I was gone. Luckily, I had extra chicken stock on hand to moisten it back up again. But I would advise having extra stock in case this happens to you, too. Of course you could add water as an alternative, but the chicken stock is tastier!
For the pesto, I prefer fresh but I’m sure you could opt for store bought as well to save on time and clean-up. That said. . .
What Makes This Recipe Special
This is easy. The pesto! The soup itself is delicious, but adding in a dollop of fresh pesto takes it next-level. It is bright and fresh and flavorful in a way that the soup cannot be on it’s own.
I made my pesto from scratch using the recipe from page 267 in the book. However because the soup called for five cloves of garlic (which I consider to be a lot), I only used one clove of garlic for the pesto.
Even my pickiest eater loved this soup and was begging to dip some crusty bread in the extra pesto.
The Cookbook Behind the Recipe
I really enjoy this cookbook. The photos are appealing, many of the recipes are easy and come together quickly. And I can trust that the final result is going to be delicious. Read my full review of Simple Dinners for Every Day here.
