Minestrone Soup

It’s chilly here in Central Florida and that makes it soup time. I was too lazy yesterday to go fetch the ingredients for clam chowder (my favorite), beef for stew, or chicken for chicken soup although I had the orzo, so I made use of what I had at home—fresh veggies, pasta, and dried cannellini beans.

I’m especially particular about Minestrone Soup. I don’t like minestrone soup made with great northern beans or dark or red kidney beans although cannellini beans are white kidney beans. I’m not a fan of weird pasta shapes in my soup either. I like broken pieces of thin spaghetti or vermicelli. Tomato sauce or meat based broths aren’t at the top of my list. I absolutely cannot do canned veggies (not a fan of frozen veggies either). Kernels of corn floating in the soup along with small green lima beans is downright sinful. I’m rather traditional when it comes to minestrone soup.

I usually soak the dried beans the day before I make the soup or at least 12 hours before. The beans will cook up much faster without soaking up too much broth. I prefer savoy cabbage, but regular green cabbage works fine when savoy is not available. Fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded are especially tasty. I simmer the beans, cabbage, and carrots in a vegetable stock seasoned with fresh oregano and basil. About 5-8 minutes before it’s ready to serve I add the sliced zucchini and the broken pieces of spaghetti so that it cooks al dente. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a bit of grated parmesan finishes the dish.

Freshly baked bread, minestrone soup, and a glass of wine is the perfect comfort food on a chilly winter’s day.

Minestrone Soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Olives & Okra

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried navy or cannellini beans
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 12 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 3 large basil leaves, broken into pieces
• 3 carrots, sliced thin
• 2 cups zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup angel hair or thin spaghetti, broken into pieces
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Rinse beans well. Put in a large bowl or pot, cover with at least 2 inches of water, and soak overnight.
• Drain beans. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and large stock pot. Add onion, crushed red pepper, and garlic; Cook over low-medium heat until tender. Add beans and vegetable stock; cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, basil, and oregano to stock. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Add broken spaghetti and sliced zucchini. Adjust seasoning. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1153mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3985IU | Vitamin C: 16.1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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