Minestrone
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https://instructions.wiki/recipes/minestrone
Makes 8 · 20 min prep · 45 min cooking
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) diced tomatoes with their juice
- 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup (100 g) small pasta such as ditalini or small shells
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups (60 g) chopped fresh spinach or kale
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Cook the onion, carrot, and celery
Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrot has started to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and broth
Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat so the soup holds a steady simmer.
Simmer the base
Cover partially and simmer until the carrot is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. The broth will have taken on a light red color from the tomatoes.
Add the beans, vegetables, and pasta
Stir in the kidney beans, cannellini beans, zucchini, green beans, and pasta. Return to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring every few minutes so the pasta does not stick to the bottom, until the pasta is tender but still has a slight bite and the zucchini is soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
Wilt the greens
Add the spinach or kale and stir until the leaves collapse into the soup, 1 to 2 minutes for spinach and 3 to 4 minutes for kale. Taste and adjust the salt. The beans and pasta absorb seasoning, so the soup often needs more than expected.
Serve with Parmesan
Ladle into bowls and top each with a spoonful of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. Crusty bread on the side is traditional.
Storage. The pasta keeps drinking broth as it sits, so the soup thickens in the refrigerator. It keeps for 4 days; thin with broth or water when reheating. To freeze, cook the pasta separately and add it when serving.
Substitutions. Any two cans of beans work, and a Parmesan rind dropped in with the broth adds depth. Swap the pasta for 1 cup of cooked rice or diced potato added with the tomatoes.