Minestrone Soup
Servings
6servings
Ingredients
For the Beans:
For the Soup Base:
To Finish:
Instructions
For the Beans:
  1. 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.
  2. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. Add reserved bean-cooking liquid, beans, and Parmesan rind, if using. Let broth simmer for at least 10 minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 Notes
  • 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 355 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 674mg 28%
Potassium 947mg 27%
Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Dietary Fiber 8g 32%
Sugars 7g
Protein 11g 22%
Vitamin A 130%
Vitamin C 48%
Vitamin D0%
Calcium 12%
Iron 22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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