Manestra

Vegetarians may find it difficult to eat out in Croatia because so much of the traditional cuisine contains meat – and even the vegetarian versions often include bacon or pancetta. On the other hand, manestra is a popular vegetable soup that can be found in restaurants all around Croatia. It is still a good idea to double-check that it is meat-free, as pancetta is sometimes ground into the paste that forms the dish's foundation.

Manestra differs depending on where you go; sometimes it is a bean soup, and other times it is a soup with various veggies as its foundation. This is the kind of dish that locals eat for lunch, and it is often prepared hours ahead of time and simmered on low heat.

Ingredients:

• 300 g potatoes
• 300 g carrots
• 300 g celery
• 300 g zucchini
• A corn
• An onion
• Olive oil
• 250 ml white wine
• 100 g peas
• 1 cube vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon of origano
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili
• 2 tablespoons parmesan
• 4 teaspoons nutmeg

Instructions:

• All of the vegetables should be diced before cooking. Fry the onions, potatoes, carrots, zucchinis, and celery in olive oil in a saucepan.
• Add the white wine, smashed garlic, vegetable stock cube, nutmeg, oregano, chopped basil, corn, and peas to a large mixing bowl.
• Stir in enough water to cover the contents of the pot. Cook on a low heat setting for about 25-30 minutes.
• In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the crushed chile and garlic. Remove the garlic from the fire once it has released its aroma and add it to the minestrone.
• When the soup is ready to eat, garnish it with grated parmesan cheese.