I made minestrone soup!
It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with this site that I-talian food ain’t exactly my specialty. Not to say I don’t like it — I mean what red-blooded American girl doesn’t like noodles and cheese and tomatoes and basil and whatever else Olive Garden orders from Sysco? I’M JOKING OBVIOUSLY. Olive Garden gets their pasta and stuff from Tuscany. Der.
ANYWAYZ. I made this soup, and many variations of this soup, quite often when I was single, poor, and vegetarian. I could make a big pot of it with whatever wilty, weird vegetables my roommate left in the fridge and all the broken pasta pieces I could sweep from the floor of the pantry and eat it all week long and still feel like I was eating like a king, or a queen, or whichever royalty figure is better known for drinking an entire bottle of pink wine every night and then raving about dinner.
Traditionally made with Cannellini beans (I think?) and macaroni noodles (also just thinking here) it’s good with any type of beans or pasta, especially chick peas, navy beans, and Great Northerns. The vegetables are up to you, too; add cabbage, zucchini, even potatoes or peas and corn. Don’t matter. Really as long as you have pasta and beans in it, I think you can still call it minestrone without Sylvia Petrillo showing up to smack-a your face-a. If you happen to have some homemade chicken stock around, too, that makes it extra tasty (though using vegetable broth will make it vegetarian-friendly). If you have fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, that’s quite a nice addition, but not really necessary.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1″ lengths
- 1½ cups diced fresh tomatoes or 1 15 ounce can
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 cup small pasta
- 1-2 cups cooked drained beans
- 2 cups fresh spinach or chard, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- For serving: Parmesan cheese, fresh basil
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and green beans and saute a few minutes until just beginning to soften and brown.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic and spices and stir about.
- Ad the broth.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling , add the pasta and set a timer for however long your package says.
- When the timer dings, add the beans and greens and parsley and cook until the greens are wilted.
- Serve with grated cheese and/or fresh basil on top.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks amazeballs, cannot wait to make.
Hilah drinking game… Take a shot whenever Hilah says “translucent”
BTDubs– cute combination of the sailor shirt and anchor tattoo
Omigosh, did I say that multiple times?? Man, I was out of it that day. Glad I managed to coordinate my shirt with my tattoo at least.
Only about once an episode
You do you boo-boo!!
Great soup! I make a mean pasta e fagioli, which is similar, but I love the simplicity of your soup. And it has all the essentials, beans and pasta make a complete protein, and the great veggies make it all even better. BTW, Olive Garden’s pasta e fagioli is not bad. Kudos to your ministrone!
Hey Larry! I haven’t had pasta e fagioli in years! I lived in Boston about 10 years ago (oh gawd, more like 13 years) and it was popular fare at many restaurants on Fridays. Simple and good.
HAAA! after 29 yrs in the food biz, i’m too bitter and dead inside to laugh at much of anything… but “whatever else olive garden orders from sysco” has me peeing myself with giggles and mirth! hmm.. if i pee myself while eating this soup, is it still vegetarian? luv ya!
Hahaha! Good! That makes me glad to hear, Jeff. And I think as long as it’s your own pee, you’re in the clear.
Great recipe! I especially like the addition of fresh greens near the end. That’s real stick-to-the-ribs soup.
How I make it my own? I like it a little beefier and use beef broth or stock, with maybe some meat strands floating around; and red kidney beans.
Ooh, a beefy minestrone! I don’t believe I’ve had that, but there’s nothing that compares to a rich beef stock. Just thinking about that makes me hungry for French onion soup…
This looks yummy!
I’m heading to Corpus Christi this week to visit my sister..do you have any recommendations on places to eat?? Thanks!
Thanks, Kristin!
Oh my gosh, I haven’t been to Corpus in years! Taqueria Jalisco on Cimarron is consistently good Mexican/Tex-mex, though, from what I remember. Have fun!
Hi Hilah
I’m Swiss and since you’ve been asked to come up with more soup recipes for the colder season, well, let me suggest this soup from the eastern Swiss alps: It’s called “Bündner Gerstensuppe” (meaning “barley soup from the canton of Graubünden or Grisons), and it’s full of hearty goodness and makes people smile when it’s cold out.
It’s main ingredients are stock, barley, veggies (similar to a minestrone) and either smoked bacon, ham or local dried beef (you could substitute that with Italian dried beef, for instance bresaola). I found one recipe in English that is very close to how I would make it: http://janetching.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/swiss-bundner-gerstensuppe-barley-soup/
Now, i don’t know this blog and don’t want to promote other blogs on your site, so feel free to delete the link or this post. It’s just the one recipe that I find is the closest to the traditional version of the soup. Maybe it’ll inspire you!
Thanks, Frank! That sounds really good. I love barley soups and that one looks SO good and hearty. Affordable, too!
How did minestrone fall off my radar??? Used to make it a lot when I was married, as my then husband is half Italian. Thanks for the reminder . . . especially as we’re getting cooler weather this weekend!
I know! I felt that way about shepherd’s pie – I used to make it all the time and then. just. stopped. Hope you like it, Diane! xo
Love the minestrone! I like to add spicy Italian sausage to mine, and a chunk of Asiago in the pot while it’s cooking really thickens up the broth (which I like). I’ve never used bowties (I usually use Ditalini). How do the bowties hold up in leftovers?
Thanks, Annie! I’ve never tried the hunk’o'cheese in the pot, though I’ve heard of it. Good to know it adds some body, too; I always thought it was just for flavor, which sounds good enough on its own, honestly.
This batch only stuck around for two days, but at that point the pasta was still good and al dente after reheating in the microwave. I have made it sometimes and had the pasta get really soft after a day in the fridge and I wonder if it’s more to do with the brand/quality than the shape? That just occurred to me as I’m typing this…
I just discovered your videos yesterday and I already have made you one of my favorite “tv” chefs! You rock girl! Next soup I make will be this (polishing off my last quart of homemade White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage and Tomatoes). Love the fact that you use red pepper flakes – makes all the difference. Thanks!!
Thank you, Dana! Your white bean soup sounds super yummy. I love the addition of sausage. Hope you like the minestrone!
I made minestrone this evening from your video using what was in my vegetable drawer: onion, celery, carrots; in addition to a fennel bulb, baby bok choi (the white, bottom parts in at the beginning, leaves at the end), parsley, garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of garbanzo beans, and some orzo. I threw in some salt and a habanero pepper too. Thanks for the inspiration on this cool, rainy night!
What a creative supper! I bet the fennel was really nice. Thanks for sharing, ACG!
Oh man, it’s the best soup I’ve ever made! Even my boyfriend said the only bad thing i it’s without meat (but i’m vegetarian, so never mind:P). Thank’s Hilah!
Haha! I’m glad he liked it. I know it can be tricky to cook for a meat-eater when you aren’t one yourself.