Classic minestrone loaded with farm fresh vegetables is hearty enough to be a meal on its own or pair it with your favorite sandwich for an easy dinner.
Author: Erin Berdan
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
1¼ cups dried white beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. chopped pancetta
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 yellow squash or zucchini, cut into ½-inch chinks
½ small green cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1 Parmesan rind
½ tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
¼ tsp. oregano
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
Put beans in a bowl or large measuring cup and cover with cold water. Let soak overnight. Drain.
Transfer to a saucepan and add water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 50 minutes, adding more water if needed to keep the beans covered. Add ½ teaspoon salt and simmer about 5 minutes more. Test for doneness. If beans are still hard, continue cooking. Once cooked through, remove from heat and let stand.
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the pancetta and cook until fat is rendered. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the yellow squash, green beans and cabbage and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, Parmesan rind, oregano and paprika and stir. Bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind.
Meanwhile drain the beans, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Stir ¾ of the beans into the soup. Combine remaining beans and reserved cooking liquid in a blender and puree. Stir puree into soup.
Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Recipe by white plate blank slate at https://whiteplateblankslate.com/minestrone/