Fall Minestrone with Sweetbreads

Fall Minestrone with Sweetbreads feels right on time.  Leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter and a chill in the air means staying home is starting to feel so cozy again. 

This recipe is one of my favorites and precedes this blog by a few years.  It made an appearance on early lists… Me wondering if I could or would start this site. This week offallygoodcooking celebrates it’s fourth birthday.  Hooray!    

Humble beginnings

When I started this blog, my intention was to give back to a community that had taught me so much. 

A trusted friend recommended I read Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price, and I did. The research resonated with everything I knew about traditional diets from travel and my immigrant grandparents.  Immediately, I jumped in.

First, I eliminated ‘the displacing foods of modern commerce:’ packaged foods, vegetable oils, flours and sugars. Within a week, using the Raw Milk Finder, I had swapped our low-fat milk for (raw) whole milk.

At the same time, I committed to making broth and eating organs as often as possible.  I started by meeting farmers at farmers markets and buying from them. Nervously, I watched those nutrient-dense organs defrost in my fridge, and I started cooking them… week after week.

I started reading the quarterly journals published by the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation and the Weston A Price Foundation. 

And I remain so grateful for the course correction. 

Wise Traditions Conference

Fast forward to today. My family has grown and we now have four children. We remain lively and healthful! 

Next week, I’ll be presenting again at the 21st Annual Wise Traditions Conference in Texas!  Indeed, I’ll have the privilege and opportunity to share my experience serving offal and raw meats. Live and in person, sharing with the community that has taught me so much!

I’ll have some tips for:

• adding organ meats to pretty much everything (like minestrone soup) 😉
• creating meals to celebrate and highlight organs,
• incorporating raw meats into your diet, and
• listening to your heart and doing what’s right for you. 

If you are attending the conference, please come say hi!  I would love to meet you! (Or, send a note anytime.)

Fall Minestrone with Sweetbreads

In the meantime, Alice Water’s Fall Minestrone is the inspiration for this dish.  In The Art of Simple Food, she encourages seasonal modifications to the soup.  Sweetbreads are so versatile – they would fit well among any of the variations.  

Note that sweetbreads, like brains, should be used within a day or so; however, if you cannot get to them soak and poach them to help preserve them. Fresh (or poached) sweetbreads can be used in this soup. 

When you look across cookbooks and recipes, there is always variation, even for very similar dishes. Use what you have, do as much advance prep as your schedule allows, and make it your own! There is no wrong way, and there is no right way! Just make it with love! 

Fall Minestrone with Sweetbreads

October 25, 2021

by Janine Farzin

Cuisine Italian

Category Sweetbreads

Persons

6

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Wait Time

2 hours

Total Time

1 hour

Ingredients

• 1-2 sweetbreads, cubed
• 1/4 c ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 celery sticks, ends trimmed and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 t chopped rosemary
• 1 t chopped sage
• 2 bay leaves
• salt
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed, cut into strips and chopped
• 15oz can of tomatoes
• 1 leek, diced
• 5 c chicken or other poultry broth
• 1 small or 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 15 oz can (or 2 cups cooked and) drained cannellini beans
• ghee, olive oil, or grated parmesan, for garnish

Instructions

1. Soak sweetbreads for a couple hours in salty water. Trim off any large pieces of connective tissue and chop sweetbreads into 1/4" cubes.
2. Add ghee to a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add onion, carrots and celery, stir well and let cook for 15 minutes until soft. Reduce heat to low if necessary to avoid browning.
3. Add garlic, rosemary, sage, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix and cook for another two minutes or so. Next, add kale, tomatoes, and leek. Mix well again, cook for another minute or two.
4. Add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the squash cubes and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until soft. Finally, add cubed sweetbreads and cook for another 4-5 minutes until sweetbreads are tender. Lastly, add cooked beans and mix until just warmed through. Turn off heat. Remove bay leaves.
5. Garnish each bowl with either a spoonful of additional ghee, a good drizzle of olive oil, or grated parmesan.

Tags

Alice Waters,

gluten-free,

immune system,

Italian,

T-cells,

thymus

https://offallygoodcooking.com/fall-minestrone-sweetbreads/