Minestrone Soup Recipe
A traditional minestrone soup recipe from my Father's kitchen to yours. Serve it with Pesto or without but don't forget the parmigiano and a drizzle of good olive oil. That is the traditional way to eat this Italian vegetable soup. Of course a thick piece of crusty Italian bread to go with it is a must!
Italians, in the lean years, used all kinds of creative ingredients to add flavor to their food. Using prosciutto bone over and over again, sharing it with neighbors and friends to create a stock or using a pesto to add flavor when meat was not available. This is how great tastes from every country in the world evolve. Somehow food just tasted better because of the spirit of sharing and community was infused in the food. It's from the history of the people that make simple food delicious.
If you have a prosciutto bone handy here’s a great prosciutto bone stock that makes this recipe go from great to unbelievable. If don't have a prosciutto bone handy let's just get some diced pancetta to add the salty neatly layer of flavor.
Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients:
- 6 cups of homemade stock:homemade chicken stock, homemade beef stock recipe , or prosciutto bone stock
- 1 cup diced pancetta, diced
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 cup string beans cut in one inch pieces
- 2 cups small zucchini green and yellow. Slice lengthwise into quarters then chop into ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup stalks of celery sliced
- 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 15oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 16oz can of bushes cannellini beans
- 16oz can of bushes kidney beans
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound ditalini pasta
- olive oil
- parmigiano cheese for serving
- Make your pesto recipe separately while the minestrone soup recipe is cooking! (optional)
Minestrone Soup Recipe Preparation:
Cook your pasta in boiling salted water. When it's cooked, drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.Now let's begin preparing the vegetable for this amazing Italian soup.
Sauté the pancetta in the pan until tender but cooked. The pancetta will render some fat. You can drain it and leave a little in the pan for flavor and then drizzle the bottom of a large pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on medium heat and then add the, onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots. Sauté for no more then ten minutes or until slightly tender.
Then add the zucchini, celery and green beans and then sauté for an additional five to seven minutes.
In a large pot add your which ever stock you’ve chosen. Personally I love it made with a prosciutto bone stock. Then add your San Marzano tomatoes, the 2 cans of beans and bring to a boil.
The way to tell when the vegetables for are done is to bite into the carrots and the potatoes since they are the most dense. If they are still firm but tender the rest of the vegetables are ready too! It will take the vegetables about 15 minutes to cook.
If you are going to make your minestrone soup with a pesto recipe, now is the perfect time to make it. The vegetables have to cook for about 15 minutes.
When the Italian minestrone soup is done and you are ready to serve you'll ladle a portion of pasta into a bowl then pour the Italian minestrone soup over the pasta and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
You can drizzle the olive oil now or dollop a spoon of pesto, then grate some parmigiano on top. Or you can set them all on the table for your guests to do it the way they like.
ANOTHER HINT: A Minestrone soup recipe is served much like a stew so don't be shy with the pasta. Of course I live by that motto!
Vivere, Amare, Ridere e Mangiare Bene
Live, Love, Laugh and Eat Well!
Kira Volpi
Do you have a pasta recipe to share? Just like this minestrone soup recipe I will post it right here on this site for a whole page dedicated to your Italian pasta recipe.
ITALIAN PASTA SOUP RECIPES
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