This is a basic recipe, giving you the ratios and techniques that I’ve found to work best for a tasty quick soup stock. For variations, read the Tips & Tricks that follow this post’s recipes.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery rib (optional)
reserved trimmings from soup vegetables and herbs (see below)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups cold water

In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Coarsely chop the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and brown. While they cook, prep the soup vegetables and herbs (see below), adding the trimmings to the stockpot.

When the stock ingredients are beginning to brown, add the stock aromatics and water. Bring the stock to a boil over high heat, and then lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Immediately strain the stock through a colander. Makes about 6 cups.

Tips & Tricks

• Make sure the vegetables are clean, but you don’t need to peel them; just spend a few seconds chopping them up and throwing them in the pot.
• I typically don’t sauté my stock vegetables, preferring a lighter flavor. But it makes sense to do so for a stock that cooks quickly. You’re busy prepping your soup vegetables during that time anyway. By the time the stock is ready, all of your soup ingredients will be mise en place and you’ll be enjoying a glass of your favorite cooking beverage.
• Be careful when straining stock—the hotter it is, the faster it will do its job in your soup but the more likely it is to splash and burn. Once you get used to making quick stock, you can likely nail the timing so that you strain the stock straight into the soup pot; otherwise, strain it into another pot and keep warm until ready to use.
• Quick stocks aren’t just for soup. My students and I often make them from mixed vegetables, mushrooms, or shellfish in my risotto workshops.

3 cloves garlic, trimmed, peeled, and minced
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled, and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced
1 15-ounce can of tomatoes with juice, chopped as needed
3/4 pound spinach, trimmed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh or frozen snap beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups Quick Top-to-Root Stock, plus more as needed
2 15-ounce cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
up to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan for serving

Prep your vegetables as indicated. As you work, add all scraps to your Quick Top-to-Root Stock pot.

In a separate pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, garlic, herbs, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the stock, leeks, and snap beans; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the canned beans and spinach; cook a final 5 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings, and remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish each bowl with olive oil and Parmesan. Serves 8.

Tips & Tricks

• In my house, garlic, carrots, and potatoes are dry stored; zucchini, tomatoes, and snap beans are frozen. I’m likely to have both canned and dried cannellini beans in the pantry. In a pinch, you can use frozen spinach and sub onions for leeks.
• Canned beans speed up this recipe, but dried beans are cheaper, take up less storage space, and can be cooked ahead. Just 1 cup of dried beans gives you enough for this soup.
• The quick stock recipe makes more stock than you might need for this soup, but I always like to have a little extra in case the soup is too thick—initially or when you reheat the leftovers.
• Minestrone has always been a pantry soup: for many people, every batch is different. Like Fresh Improv Soup, it’s just about finding balance and using what’s at hand. Swap pasta or leftover cooked meat for some veg. After cleaning out the garden, use radicchio, cabbage, and fresh herbs. Chop some bell pepper and olives and stir in some frozen Basil Pesto Base when you need a fresh flavor. And it’s always better with slices of Sourdough Cabin Bread for dipping.