Menestrón

As the name already suggests the Peruvian Menestrón is an adaption of the Italian Minestrone which came to Peru with the first Italian immigrants. Over time the preparation and ingredients of this Italian classic were "peruvianized" and today the Peruvian Menestrón hasn't got a lot in common anymore with the Italian original.

The ingredient list of Peruvian Menestrón is long and varies from region to region, chef to chef and family to family. It includes next to beef meat and beef stock a variety of fresh local veggies like potatoes, choclo, beans, peas, celery, carrots, yuca (cassava) and leeks, but no tomatoes.

Instead of pesto, the Peruvian version calls for a salsa verde made of basil, spinach, onions and garlic. And while the Menstrón might be sprinkled with a little bit of Parmesan cheese, within the soup you find chunks of Queso Fresco (Peruvian white cheese).