This is my version of the Classic Minestrone Soup or Zuppa di Minestrone. Although it’s possibly Italy’s most famous soup, there is no formal recipe for Classic Minestrone Soup. Mouth-wateringly healthy, it’s really a good, hearty, vegetable, beans, and pasta soup. Bright beautiful colors, using whatever vegetables are the freshest and in season. My Minestrone Soup Recipe is a vegetarian recipe. However, as I said, there is no standard for Minestrone soup recipe, you can put whatever you want in it. The basic formula is fresh vegetables in broth, beans, tomatoes, and pasta.
Minestrone soup has an ancient history, vegetable soups date as far back as two centuries B.C. and the early Romans. At that time, soups were a good way of using leftovers so they didn’t go to waste and anything and everything would go in the pot. It wasn’t until around the 17th century that the name Minestrone started showing up, and people were making the soup, not as a means to save leftovers, but because they just really wanted a Minestrone soup.
Always Cook Minestrone Soup and Pasta Separately
One thing I always do, and I highly recommend you do this for all soups with pasta, is this. In order to keep the pasta al dente and the herbs a bright green, I cook the pasta separately from the soup along with the fresh herbs and spinach. And most importantly, I only add the pasta to the soup in the bowl.
The reason for this is if you have leftovers, the pasta will continue to absorb the broth and turn mushy. The herbs will continue to cook and will turn a horrible black or unpleasant grey color and green peas will lose all of their vibrant green colors and everything is just blah. Once you cook soup this way once, you will never do it any other way. The added bonus is that it is a beautiful way to present and serve the soup to your guests.
Here’s my Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe:
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 8 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms Sliced
- 2 Cups Carrots 1/2-inch dice
- 1 Cup Celery 1/4-inch slices
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 1 Leek 1/4-inch slices rinsed well
- 1 Yellow Squash 1/4-inch slices
- 6 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 2 Cups Tomatoes 1/2-inch dice
- 1 14-Ounce Can Cannellini Beans Drained and rinsed
- 1 Teaspoon Dry Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Dry Thyme
- 2 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Pasta
- 2 Cups Pasta Ditalini or Macaroni
- 3 Cups Fresh Spinach Rough chopped
- 3/4 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley Rough chopped
- 1 Cup Frozen Green Peas
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
Vegetables
- Add Olive oil and mushrooms to a large pot and sauté until the mushrooms have released their juices and have started to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add all the fresh vegetables and dry herbs, reduce heat to low and cover, sweat for 15 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally to prevent sticking
- Add stock, tomatoes, and beans, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Check the seasoning, adjust if needed, check vegetables for doneness, I prefer them al dente
Pasta
- Bring 2 quarts of water plus 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil, pasta water should taste like the ocean. Add the pasta and cook based on the instructions on the package.
- Add the frozen peas to the boiling water for the last one minute of cooking, just to warm them through.
- Drain the pasta, add the chopped spinach, parsley, and olive oil. Stir and cover for 3 minutes to steam. Keep pasta and soup separate.
To Serve
- Place the desired quantity of pasta in the bottom of the bowl. Ladle soup over the top.
- Sprinkle with grated parmesan and serve with warm crusty bread.
Thank you for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you like my recipe for Classic Minestrone Soup. Please come back again soon! Bon appetit! Steven
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