Minestrone Italian Soup
If you are looking for a hearty, nutritious and incredibly easy Minestrone Soup to make, look no further, because I've got you. I have been making my version of the Italian classic minestrone for years, and it's a family favourite. Be sure to serve this with some crusty garlic bread to make this a filling and comforting dinner. I hope you love this one as much as we all do.
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven, or large pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups small pasta of choice ditalini, pastina, elbow, or orzo
- 4 italian sausage links chopped into small bite sized pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 shallot or 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped fine
- 2 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 2 zucchini roughly chopped
- 4½ cups green cabbage roughly chopped
- 1 large russet potato peeled, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine chardonnay
- 2¾ cup crushed tomatoes (680mL)
- 8 cups chicken broth (2x 946mL) unsalted
- 1 can mixed bean medley rinsed, I use a combination of chickpeas, white cannellini and romano
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried fennel
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- pecorino romano optional for topping
- fresh basil chopped, optional for topping
Instructions
- Begin by prepping all of your ingredients.
- Start by removing the castings from the italian sausage, roughly chop and set aside.
- Next chop your garlic, shallot, carrot, celery, zucchini, cabbage, and potato. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot to medium/high heat and add your olive oil. Once hot, add your italian sausage and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to brown.
- Add your shallot, carrots, celery and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, just until the veggies begin to soften.
- Next add your garlic and let sauté on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add your cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, and seasionings and let sauté on medium heat for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze with your white wine and let simmer until reduced by half. About 2 minutes.
- Add your tomatoes, chicken stock, and parmesan rind (if you have one on hand) and mix to combine. Tip: be sure to add a ¼ cup of water to the tomato jar or can, shake it, and pour into the soup, ensuring you get all contents out of the jar.
- Bring to a light boil for 5-7 minutes, to ensure the veggies get soft.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 30 minutes.
- Once veggies are soft, taste to see if you need any additional seasionings.
- Add your can of beans and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.
- During the last 10 minutes of cook time, cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return back to the pot you cooked it in. Add a splash of olive oil to the pasta and mix. This will ensure the pasta doesn't stick together. Tip: keep the pasta separate from the soup in case you have leftovers, as freezing the soup with the cooked pasta alters the flavour and texture of the soup.
- To a serving bowl, add a large spoonful of cooked pasta and top with a few ladles of your minestrone.
- Garnish with tons of freshly grated pecorino romao or parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Enjoy with some fresh bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 2475mg | Potassium: 1376mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3864IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 6mg
