Name: Recipe for Italian Minestrone Ragout
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 (1 cup) servings
Ingredients: 1/2 vegetable broth; 5 fresh eggplant, cubed; 3 fresh garlic, minced; 2 fresh yellow onion, diced; 1/4 fennel seeds; 1 1/2 green pepper, diced; 1 3/4 red bell pepper, diced; 1/2 carrots, diced; 1/2 Italian seasoning; 1/2 kosher salt; 3 1/2 petite-diced tomatoes in juice; 1 1/2 baby spinach, chopped; 1/2 fresh basil, chopped

Bowl of vegetable ragout surrounded by garnish, garlic, and tomato

Soups and Stews

Hearty, Healthy Ragout

Italian “minestrone” is a vegetable soup that predates the Roman Empire and shares a root meaning with the Latin word for “to serve.” Each serving of this hearty, healthy ragout (ragu, another fine Italian word) offers ample amounts of vegetables—meaty eggplant, sweet carrots, tomatoes, and tender baby spinach—and a fragrant array of spices. The slow simmer adds richness and lets all those Mediterranean flavors mingle in a soup that improves with age.

Italian Minestrone Ragout

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Edwin Cabrera

Prep Instructions

Yield: 8 (1 cup) servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Recipe Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable broth
5 cups fresh eggplant, cubed
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
2 cups fresh yellow onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 cups green pepper, diced
1 3/4 cups red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups petite-diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

In a medium stock pot, add the broth and sweat eggplant, garlic, onion, fennel seeds, green and red peppers, carrots, Italian seasoning, and salt. Sauté for 5–8 minutes.
When vegetables are slightly tender, stir in tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
Simmer ragout for 15 minutes or until it reaches 165°F.
Stir in spinach and basil, remove from heat, and serve.