Southern Minestrone Recipes

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, beans and 2 1/2 cups water. Add broth, zucchini, pasta and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley, if desired.

THE BEST MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pot, stir in the tomatoes and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add the kale, beans and their liquid and pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with grated Parmesan.

CONTEST-WINNING EASY MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a stockpot, saute the onions, celery and parsley in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. , In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir into soup along with the zucchini, beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with cheese.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, red-pepper flakes, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn golden, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook until some of the liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add potato, cabbage, cannellini beans, and 7 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in green beans.
• Reduce to a simmer, and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in garlic, if using, and basil. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and, if using, torn basil. Drizzle with more oil, if desired.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Add leek, carrots, zucchini, green beans and celery. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
• Stir in the stock, tomatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil, then replace the lid, and reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the cannellini beans with liquid and pasta. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until slightly crisp and the fat has rendered, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes. Add the zucchini, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta; lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Mash half the beans in a small bowl with a fork. Add the mashed and whole beans to the soup and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the herbs and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among warm soup bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve immediately with more cheese at the table.

SOUTHERN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery and cook until the onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add 4 cups of the water, the cabbage, and the cheese rind. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then decrease the heat to low. Simmer until the mixture is flavorful and well combined, about 30 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, green beans, okra, yellow squash, zucchini, parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes. Add more of the remaining water to cover by about 1 inch. Continue to simmer slowly over very low heat until the vegetables are just tender, an additional 20 minutes. Add the pasta, and more water, if needed. Simmer until the pasta is tender, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with grated cheese.
• parmigiano-reggiano
• Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard, dry cheese made from cow's milk. The rind is golden tan and the interior is creamy yellow. True Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy is aged eighteen to thirty-six months and is sharp and rich in flavor with a salty kick. While other countries make Parmesan cheese, real Italian Parmigiano- Reggiano is more expensive and is well worth every dime. Look for "Parmigiano-Reggiano" stenciled on the rind to authenticate the origin.