Skip to main content

Minestrone Soup

My minestrone, made with potatoes, carrots, small red beans, green beans, fresh tomatoes, and sproingy noodles. All just stuff I had on hand.

I just learned a great tip for making this free-form soup: add a couple spoonfuls of pesto at the end! I thought I should post the recipe (or more like, guidelines) as a reminder of this tasty dish. There are basically no rules for minestrone, so just use what you have on hand. I added a ham hock by simmering it for a long time in the broth and cutting the meat off of it to add to the finished soup, but you can use pancetta or bacon or just leave it vegetarian if you like.

Rainbow of colors, get ready to turn into rainbow of flavors!

several pieces pancetta or bacon (or 2 Tbsp. olive oil)
mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrots, diced)
red pepper flakes (optional)
3-4 c. stock or water
1 can tomato sauce
a few dashes of red wine
bay leaves
mixed vegetables, diced:
--white things like potatoes, parsnips, or celeriac
--summer squash or winter squash
--additional carrots or celery
--chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
--green things like green beans, peas, collards or spinach
1 can kidney or canellini beans, drained
2 Tbsp. pesto (or equivalent herbs and garlic)
cooked small noodles (~1/2 box) or 2 c. cooked rice
salt & pepper
parmesan for garnish

In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, render the fat from the bacon or pancetta, or heat up the oil. Add the bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Saute the mirepoix over medium-high heat until it is tender and begins to brown on the edges.

Add the stock, red wine, and tomato sauce and bring to a gentle boil.

Begin adding the vegetables, with the densest ones first. For instance, add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes before adding the green beans. Once the vegetables are 90% cooked, add the beans. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the pesto. Stir in the rice or noodles.

Adjust the seasonings and serve piping hot with freshly grated parmesan. This is delicious with crusty bread and makes excellent planned-overs.

NOTE: An awesome and 'authentic' touch is to simmer the soup with a piece rind from the parmesan cheese. It gives a great flavor, but I already used my rind for the last soup I made, so I couldn't use it this time!

Comments

Lillian said…
Ooh I just found a version of the recipe with awesome photos! http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?language=2&Display=124&resolution=high&page=1 Looks like a good food blog to check out.

Popular posts from this blog

Thick-cut Pork Chops

These intimidating chops were actually pretty easy to cook. They're called an "Iowa Chop", and they're just a thick-cut, bone-in, center-cut chop. I've discovered that the secret to juicy pork chops is to start with a cold pan and obsessively checking the temperature . I find they're best just under 160 degrees. Pork Chops 2 1-lb. Iowa Chops 2-3 Tbsp. salt 2 Tbsp. white pepper 2 Tbsp. dried sage 2 Tbsp. Smoked (or regular) paprika 3 Tbsp. oil Sauce (optional): 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio) 2 Tbsp. corn starch 1 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 c. cold water Preheat the oven to 350. Pat the chops dry with some paper towel. Sprinkle them liberally with the salt and spices and allow them to warm up to room temperature while you start the quinoa and chop the cauliflower. Place the oil in your pan, but do not pre-heat the pan. Add the chops to the pan and place them on the stove. Heat the pan up to medium, turning the chop

Miele Steam Oven Pulled Pork

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha

Baking Powder Dumplings

This is Mom's standard dumpling recipe, excellent with chicken soup. Drop them in, put the lid on, and enjoy. Ingredients: 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 scant cup milk or water Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients, stir in the milk or water gradually to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling salted water or simmering stew. Cover tightly, cook 10-15 minutes before lifting cover. Test for doneness, drain. Serve at once. Well, once they cool off so you don't burn your tongue. PS - This is post 199! Hope someone does something special for #200!