Making Soup in Taichung: My Minestrone Recipe

I don’t eat soup, but I know a lot of people do.  Without a doubt, my favorite soup is a minestrone.  It’s hearty and flavorful; it’s rare to hear someone say they dislike minestrone, so it’s a very safe bet.

One fun thing about Taiwan is getting ingredients – for example, I couldn’t find celery or beans today.  I used cucumber instead.  Here’s the breakdown:

Bullion cubes
Tomato sauce
Noodles
Pork belly
Carrot
Corn
Cucumber
Spinach
Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Pepper

First things first: you need a pot and a good-sized frying pan.
Put 8 cups of water into the pot, along with the right amount of bullion cubes.
Chop your pork belly (or bacon) and fry it in the pan.
Add some salt and pepper to the meat.
Chop your veggies (carrot, cucumber, spinach, garlic).
Break apart your noodles.
Add a tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to the pot.
Add a can (around two cups) of tomato sauce to the pot.
Once the pork is browned, add the carrots, cucumber, and garlic to the pan.
Stir it for five minutes, then add it all to the soup pot.
Add the spinach and corn to the pot.
Add the noodles to the pot.
Stir it for five minutes, then turn off the heat; you’re done.