If you’re under the weather (or bundled up in the midst of literal bad weather), soup is a must-make dish. And if you’re seeking a new variety of exciting-yet-homey stew to add to your routine, we have one-and-a-half words for you: minestrone-ish.

“This falls somewhere on the soup spectrum between minestrone and pasta fagioli,” writes cook and author Julia Turshen in her book What Goes with What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities. “It’s full of vegetables, with deep tomato flavor from lots of tomato paste, and hearty from a mix of beans and pasta.” That’s great news if you’re eating meatless but crave a rich bite.

“Topped with grated cheese and a dollop of pesto, it’s a satisfying vegetarian soup,” Turshen continues. “But if you want to make it extra special, try Haley’s Savory Sprinkles, which are the most delicious lemony breadcrumbs.” We’ve also got the recipe for those — and since they come together in just about five minutes, we advise that you don’t skip the extra step. But no matter how you dish up this savory, warming soup, it will become one of your go-to winter faves.

Julia Turshen’s “Minestrone-ish” Recipe

Makes: About 3 quarts (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
Kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound green cabbage, roughly chopped (about 8 cups chopped cabbage)
One 15-ounce can beans (I recommend cannellini, chickpeas, or small red beans), drained and rinsed
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or boiling water mixed with Better Than Bouillon)
1 cup small pasta (ditalini, orzo, orecchiette, elbows — whatever you have, regular or gluten-free!)

For serving: Grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and pesto (homemade or store-bought), and/or Haley’s Savory Sprinkles (recipe follows)

Instructions

Place the oil in a large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and dried oregano and cook, stirring until very fragrant, about a minute.
Add the cabbage, beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, and the broth, turn the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Season to taste with salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the cabbage is softened and the flavors are very well combined, at least 30 minutes (but it’s fine for up to an hour or two over very low heat, if that helps to know). Just before you’re ready to eat, add the pasta and cook until softened, about 10 minutes or so.
Serve the soup hot with lots of grated cheese, freshly ground black pepper, a spoonful of pesto, and/or a shower of Haley’s Savory Sprinkles in each bowl.

Haley’s Savory Sprinkles

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a cup of coarse fresh breadcrumbs (or panko) and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let the breadcrumbs cool for a couple of minutes, then stir in the finely grated zest of a lemon and ½ cup of grated Parmesan (or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, if vegan). Season to taste with salt and pepper.