Winter Minestra - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 portobello mushrooms, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Preparation

Crumble the ground beef into a large stockpot set over medium heat. Cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease and add the olive oil. Heat the oil and add the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion is tender. Add cauliflower, jalapenos, shallot and mushrooms. Season with salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes to release the water from the vegetables.
Pour in the stewed tomatoes and season with red pepper flakes. Stir aggressively to break up the tomatoes. Pour in the beef broth and mixed vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook until frozen vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving.