Last updated on February 9th, 2024 at 09:35 pm
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots coarsely chopped
- 3 stalks of celery coarsely chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
— Choose one from the following three ingredients, to taste
- 1 large potato cut into ¾ inch cubes, or:
- 1 cup pasta pre-cooked, or:
- 1 cup rice pre-cooked
–
- ½ lb frozen cut green beans
- 2 medium zucchini trimmed, peeled, and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 clove (or more) garlic minced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cups beef broth (16 oz, 1 box)
- 1½ cups water or more
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with liquid. Retain liquid.
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1lb can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- grated Parmesan cheese to be sprinkled on top of each serving.
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat
- Add onions. Saute, stirring occasionally until soft and golden, but not brown, 6-8 minutes
- Stir in carrots and potato (if using). Saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in celery and green beans. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in zucchini. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add broth, water and liquid from tomatoes to pan. Add chopped tomatoes to pan.
- Stir in salt, basil, rosemary, pepper, bay leaf, and diced potatoes (if using).
- Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours.
- Add drained and rinsed beans. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick, 30-40 minutes.
- Add pre-cooked pasta or rice (if using).
- Remove bay leaf.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Crusty bread is wonderful as an accompaniment.
