Minestrone

Published on December 11, 2019 | By
minestrone

I bet I know what you are thinking. Minestrone, a thin watery, tomatoey soup, with limp overcooked vegetables. Not this minestrone. It is bold and hearty and should satisfy your desire for a substantial stick to your ribs whole meal soup. Guaranteed to make you feel warm and cozy. I discovered this minestrone in Ruth Reichl’s “Gourmet” cookbook. It is flavored with pancetta and slow cooked vegetables, with pureed and whole white beans, kale, cabbage, zucchini and green beans. Topped with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmiagiano-Reggiano, it’s the real deal. I usually double the recipe when I make it so I can share with family and friends. I love to see those happy faces when I drop off a container of homemade minestrone and a fresh baked baguette.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ lb dried white beans such as great northern
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • ¼ lb pancetta or bacon chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced into 1/4" rounds
  • 1 celery stalk cut into ½” cubes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 zucchini, cut into ½” cubes
  • ¼ lb green beans cut into 1" pieces
  • 4 cups green cabbage, chopped into bite sized squares
  • ½ lb ( 6 cups) kale with stems and center ribs removed and leaves chopped
  • 1 -28 oz can peeled Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 41/2 cups of chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak beans overnight and drain. Transfer to a heavy saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender about 50 minutes. Add salt, remove from heat and let beans stand uncovered.
  2. Heat oil in a 6-8 qt heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon or pancetta, and cook stirring until crisp.
  3. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened. Add carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add diced potatoes, zucchini and green beans. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
  4. Add cabbage and kale and cook stirring until cabbage is wilted. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
  5. Drain beans and reserve cooking liquid. Puree half of beans with 1 cup reserved liquid in a blender or food processor. Stir into soup along with remaining drained beans and reserved liquid. Simmer soup uncovered for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add a little water until it reaches the right consistency.
  6. Grate the Parmagiano-Reggiano and sprinkle a little on each serving of soup.
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