Description
My brothy, Italian-style minestrone soup recipe is made from onions, carrots, celery, garlic, fennel, bacon, rosemary, white beans and leafy greens simmered to perfection in a light and delicate tomato broth. It’s a soup season staple.
Notes & Tips:
Below are a few ingredient brands, tips & recommendations:
- Carrots: Buy the ones with the leafy green tops still attached (not the ones in the bag). They’re milder and sweeter, perfect for this delicate soup.
- Tomato Paste: Get the kind in the tube for convenience, not the can. Good brands include Cento & Mutti.
- Chicken Stock: You need a light-colored chicken stock or broth (some are really dark and strong flavored). I use Trader Joe’s organic chicken bone broth which comes in a black pouch, not a box, and is found in the refrigerator section. It’s light in color, has great ingredients, and has a subtle taste that does not overpower. You can also use your favorite vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade. If using my homemade vegetable stock recipe, please double it so you have enough.
- Vegetable Chopper: If you want to cut your prep time in half, use this chopper.
- Pro Vegetable Peeler: This vegetable peeler is top notch. There’s something about this one- it’s got a great weight to it, and it makes peeling veggies a breeze. I love mine.
- Understanding vegetables size: The veggies I use for this soup are are approximately “medium” in size. So for an example, a medium, not gigantic green cabbage; a celery stick that is not as long as my arm; Yukon Gold potatoes that are not the size of yams etc. Use your judgement. Always have extra stock on hand if you need to loosen up the texture of the soup.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 strip good quality thick-cut bacon, rough chop
- 1 onion, 1/2-inch dice
- 1 celery stick, 1/2-inch dice
- 2 carrots, 1/2-inch dice
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, 1/2-inch dice
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 rounded tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, 1/2- inch dice
- 6-7 cups light colored chicken stock or broth, plus more as needed (see Notes & Tips above)
- 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, shredded
- 1/4 chunk green cabbage, shredded
- (1x) 15 oz can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained or 1.5 cups home-cooked white beans from scratch
- 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
- Salt & pepper
- Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Basil Pesto, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the bacon, onions, celery, carrots, fennel, garlic cloves and rosemary sprig. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste; stir for 30 seconds to combine.
- Add a splash of chicken stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. Then add the rest of the stock.
- Add the potatoes.
- Place the lid on top slightly ajar, and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the kale, cabbage, and beans.
- Continue to cook for 30 minutes or more, until the soup reduces slightly and the flavors meld together.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- If serving right away, portion the soup into bowls, adding some of the reserved cooked pasta. Drizzle with olive oil, shave some Pecorino cheese on top, and add a dollop of basil pesto, if using.
Note: If not serving right away, this soup can be stored in the fridge (without the pasta) for 4 days; in the freezer for up to 6 months.
