AIP Minestrone Soup

A regular minestrone is the soup you make from whatever happens to be sitting in the crisper drawer. This version asks something different of you first: the nomato sauce has to already exist, and if you want the cassava pasta in there, that needs to be in the cupboard too, before you can throw this together the way minestrone is meant to come together, almost without thinking. That upfront work is real, and it is worth doing once. A stocked AIP pantry is what turns a 'forgiving' recipe from a nice idea back into something actually forgiving.

Garlic is doing more here than flavor. Its sulfur compounds have been studied for a possible role in supporting immune function, and while one bowl of soup will not do the work of a full protocol, it is one more real contribution in the right direction. Ground meat is also a source of zinc, involved in the immune regulation your body is working to recalibrate.

Let this simmer the full time the recipe asks for, even if it is tempting to call it done early. A pot that has had its full simmer tastes noticeably different from one pulled off the heat too soon, and that patience costs you nothing else. Use meat from an animal raised well if you can, ladle the soup into a bowl you actually like, and finish it with the parsley. Small choices like that are part of what makes a meal feel like care instead of a chore.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Yellow onion, diced
• Celery, diced
• Carrots, diced
• Ground beef, turkey, or chicken
• Garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
• Dried thyme
• Dried basil
• Bay leaves
• Hannah, Japanese, or murasaki sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• Sodium-free beef or chicken stock, or bone broth
• Nomato sauce
• Water
• Zucchini, roughly chopped
• AIP grain-free cassava pasta (optional)
• Spinach
• Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Note: red pepper flakes were in the original source but are excluded here as they are not AIP compliant. Exact quantities are not included in the source archive file. See the source URL for amounts before scaling or publishing.

Method

Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened - about 8 minutes.

Add the ground meat and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until fully browned. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and basil.

Add the sweet potato pieces and stir to coat them with the spiced meat mixture. Pour in the stock, nomato sauce, and water. Tuck in the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer.

Cook, partially covered, for 25 to 30 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender. Add the zucchini and the grain-free pasta if using. Continue simmering for 10 to 12 minutes more until both are cooked through.

Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt into the hot soup for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls and finish with fresh parsley.

Instant Pot variation

Using the Saute function, cook the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil until soft. Add the ground meat and brown it, then stir in the garlic and seasonings. Add the sweet potato, stock, nomato sauce, water, and bay leaves. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick-release the pressure. Remove the bay leaves, then switch back to Saute. Add the zucchini and pasta if using and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the spinach to wilt and serve.

*Adapted from Heal Me Delicious*