Minestrone Soup
Serves6 (servings)
SWAP ScoreWhat's this?
Ingredients
- For the Beans:
- 8 ounces dried cannellini borlotti, or kidney beans
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium onion split in half
- 1 medium carrot about 3 ounces
- 2 celery stalks about 3 ounces
- 2 cloves mediumgarlic
- 1 large sprig rosemary
- 2-3 sprigs parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- For the Soup Base:
- 4 ounces salt pork or pancetta cut into 1/4-inch dice (optional)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped (about 6 ounces)
- 1 medium carrot peeled and finely diced (about 3 ounces)
- 2 celery stalks finely diced (about 3 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 lb ripe Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped (see note)
- 1 Parmesan rind optional; see notes
- To Finish:
- 1 cup dried small pasta such as ditali, macaroni, or orecchiette (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100 g)
- 1 medium zucchini cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 ounces)
- 1 medium summer squash cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 ounces)
- 4 ounces green beans cut into 1/2-inch lengths
- 4 ounces spinach roughly chopped (about 4 cups loosely packed leaves)
- Chopped fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, or rosemary, for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the Beans:
- In a medium bowl, cover beans with cold water by several inches and stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Let beans soak at least 12 hours and up to a day. Drain and rinse.
- Combine beans, onion halves, carrot, celery, garlic cloves, rosemary, parsley, and bay leaf in a large pot and cover with water by several inches. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, topping up with water as necessary, until beans are fully tender, about 45 minutes. Using tongs, discard vegetables and aromatics. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer bean-cooking liquid to a 2-quart measuring cup and add enough cold water to equal 2 full quarts (8 cups; 2L).
For the Soup Base:
- Heat pancetta (if using) and olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until pancetta has rendered fat and softened, but has not yet browned. (If omitting pancetta, heat oil just until shimmering.) Add onion, carrot, celery, and minced rosemary. Season with a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes, adding more oil if pot appears dry or if vegetables are starting to stick to the bottom.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until most of their moisture has evaporated and the mixture starts to fry. (The sound should change from a sputtering simmering sound to a sharper crackle as vegetables start to fry.)
- Add reserved bean-cooking liquid, beans, and Parmesan rind, if using. Let broth simmer for at least 10 minutes.
- Add pasta (unless you are planning on simmering for a long time; see step 7), zucchini, squash, and green beans and simmer until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind, if used.
- Serve soup immediately as is, or continue simmering for up to 2 1/2 hours for a heartier texture and flavor (if simmering for a long time, add the pasta 10 to 15 minutes before serving). Alternatively, reserve half of soup on the side, continue to simmer the other half in the pot for up to 2 1/2 hours, and stir reserved soup back in for a soup that is hearty, but still has plenty of bright vegetable flavor and texture. Stir in chopped herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Canned beans can be used in place of fresh. To use canned beans, in step 5, drain and rinse 2 cups of canned beans and add them to the soup, along with 2 quarts of homemade vegetable stock, or store-bought or homemade low-sodium chicken stock. Increase simmering time to 30 minutes before proceeding to step 6.
- Use fresh tomatoes only if ripe and in season. Otherwise, tomatoes may be omitted or replaced with one (14-ounce) can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or chopped with a knife. A Parmesan rind can be added to the soup while simmering for deeper flavor.
Nutrition Facts
Minestrone Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 366
Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g
37%
Saturated Fat 7g
35%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 20mg
7%
Sodium 633mg
26%
Potassium 944mg
27%
Total Carbohydrates 31g
10%
Dietary Fiber 8g
32%
Sugars 7g
Protein 10g
20%
Vitamin A
130%
Vitamin C
48%
Vitamin D0%
Calcium
12%
Iron
21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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