Minestrone

Minestrone is a hearty Italian soup made primarily with vegetables such as beans, onions, celery, carrots, and tomatoes. Pasta and rice are common additions.

Minestrone does not have a fixed recipe and so every region in Italy has its own ingredients and cooking times depending on the season. Generally minestrone is vegetarian, but it can be made with meat or contain a meat-based stock such as chicken stock.

Fast Facts

1. "Minestrone" has become synonymous with the word hodgepodge
2. Part of Italy's cucina povera (literally "poor kitchen")
3. Rumored to have been the staple of Roman Army's diet
4. Proper pronounciation: "min-uh-stroh-nee"

Minestrone with Pesto

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
2. 1 medium onion, chopped
3. 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
4. 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
5. 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6. 4 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
7. 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
8. 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
9. 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
10. 2 tomatoes, peeled, crushed
11. 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
12. 6 tablespoons Classic Pesto
13. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; simmer 3 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; garnish each with 1 tablespoon pesto. Serve, passing cheese separately.

-Bon Appétit Magazine | August 2004

Categories