Minestrone Soup

[Andy M.]

By request:

MINESTRONE SOUP

¼ C Olive Oil
1 Ea Onion, diced
2 Ea Carrots, diced
2 Ribs Celery, diced
2 Cl Garlic, minced
1 Tb Tomato Paste
1½ Qt Chicken Stock
1 Can Pinto beans, 15 Oz
½ C Small Pasta
¾ Lb Boiling potatoes, diced
1 Ea Zucchini, cubed
7 oz Baby Spinach
1 Ea Bay Leaf
½ tsp Thyme
2¼ tsp Salt
TT Parmesan Cheese Rinds
¼ tsp Black Pepper
2 Tb Parmesan, grated
4 tsp Olive Oil


In a 7-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the stock, beans, pasta, potatoes, zucchini, spinach, bay leaf, thyme, salt and rinds to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially covered, until the pasta, potatoes and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and the rinds. Stir the pepper into the soup. Sprinkle each bowlful with Parmesan and drizzle each with a teaspoon of oil.

Elapsed time: 50-60 minutes.

[Kathleen]

Thank you! There is nothing on that list that I would not like!

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Thank you! There is nothing on that list that I would not like!

And if there was, you could leave it out or replace it with something you do like!

[PrincessFiona60]

yum! Thanks, Andy!

[CharlieD]

Andy, what is TT of parmesan ?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

Andy, what is TT of parmesan ?

Charlie, This is my notation for "to taste". In other words, use as much as you like.

[Andy M.]

According to an article I read, this is a "poor kitchen" recipe. It uses whatever you have in the kitchen. It's considered a "sin" to go to the store to buy something specifically for this soup.

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

Charlie, This is my notation for "to taste". In other words, use as much as you like.

Thank you.

[dragnlaw]

Thanks Andy! copied and saved!

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

yum!
Now I wanna make Minestrone ... I make mine pretty
similar with the addition of diced & rendered Pancetta.

[Kevin86]

I was taught minestrone was truly one of the most varied soups there is. Minestrone (I’ve been told) means garden soup. That’s why it’s a veggie soup and and varies by season, geography, and just who’s grandma made it.

It’s kinda nice/funny how people stick to family recipes now but back when your great grandma was making it she was using what she could to feed who she had and would’ve been the first person to change a recipe for what she had. We take grocery stores and how easy and convenient they are for granted sometimes to make sure we stick exactly to a recipe.

Nonetheless yours sounds pretty good. I’ve started making actual veggie soups this year so it may go on my list. That said frying off your veg in bacon or duck fat, etc will take that soup to a new dimension. Thanks for sharing.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Kevin86

I was taught minestrone was truly one of the most varied soups there is. Minestrone (I’ve been told) means garden soup. That’s why it’s a veggie soup and and varies by season, geography, and just who’s grandma made it.

I was curious, because I studied Greek and Latin root words and I didn't see a root for "garden" in the word minestrone, so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, "It is from Italian minestrone, the augmentative form of minestra, "soup", or more literally, "that which is served", from minestrare, "to serve"[6][7] and cognate with administer as in "to administer a remedy". (Btw, the root of garden is hortus, as in horticulture.)

Originally Posted by Kevin86

It’s kinda nice/funny how people stick to family recipes now but back when your great grandma was making it she was using what she could to feed who she had and would’ve been the first person to change a recipe for what she had. We take grocery stores and how easy and convenient they are for granted sometimes to make sure we stick exactly to a recipe.

Nonetheless yours sounds pretty good. I’ve started making actual veggie soups this year so it may go on my list. That said frying off your veg in bacon or duck fat, etc will take that soup to a new dimension. Thanks for sharing.

Minestrone is a wonderful soup and is, as you say, very adaptable.

[Rocklobster]

In Italian, the suffix "one", or "oni" in america is makes references to the size which is considered large. Like rigatone...or calzone...so Minestrone is a soup that has large pieces of ingredients which are usually vegetables.....
Another Italian soup is Ministra..from my experience, it was always a lighter/finer soup with a few gredients like broth and orzo or pastina..
When something is small the suffix is "ini" like fettucine, or linguini...

[PrincessFiona60]

I learned Minestrone from an Italian Grandma who started hers with beef shanks. Took her two days to make the stock so she could make the soup. It was fantastic!

[Kevin86]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

I was curious, because I studied Greek and Latin root words and I didn't see a root for "garden" in the word minestrone, so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, "It is from Italian minestrone, the augmentative form of minestra, "soup", or more literally, "that which is served", from minestrare, "to serve"[6][7] and cognate with administer as in "to administer a remedy". (Btw, the root of garden is hortus, as in horticulture.)


Minestrone is a wonderful soup and is, as you say, very adaptable.

That is cool to know. Good info