Vegetable Soup
(Minestrone alla Milanese)
One-half quart of stock, 2 slices of lean pork, or a ham bone; 2 tomatoes, fresh or canned; 1 cup of rice, 2 tablespoons of dried beans, 1 tablespoon of peas, fresh or canned; 2 onions.
Put into the stock the slices of pork, cut into small pieces; or, if desired, a ham bone may be substituted for the pork. Add the tomatoes, cut into small pieces also, the onions, in small pieces, and the rice. Boil all together until the rice is cooked. Then add the beans and the peas and cook a little longer. The soup is ready when it is thick. If desired, this chowder can be made with fish broth instead of the stock, and with the addition of shrimps which have been taken from their shells.
This dish can be served hot or cold.