Minestrone Soup Recipe
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As promised…
Carrots
- Celery
Roma Tomatoes
Minestrone Soup
4 ounces of thick-sliced bacon*
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 large stalks of celery, diced
8 to 12 ounces of crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
8 ounces of waxy potatoes (red, purple, gold)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, snapped into about 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen grilled eggplant and/or zucchini**
1 pound fresh Roma tomatoes, cut into 6-8 pieces each
1 pound of hearty cooking greens (spinach, chard, kale, escarole)
32 ounces of beef stock
32 ounces of chicken stock
32 ounces of vegetable stock
3 to 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind
12 ounces of whole grain shell pasta
4 ounces of Pesto Alla Cycling Foodie
1 can Cannellini beans, well rinsed
fresh herbs – basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary
Trimming the bacon.
Trim as much fat as possible from the bacon, and set aside. Cut the meaty part into about 1/4-inch pieces. Place the fat and meaty pieces into a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is just a bit browned. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. When it is cool, separate the meat and fat. Discard the fat; set the meat aside for now. You can use the bacon fat or not – it does add a lot of flavor and this amount of this bacon does not really add that much fat for the amount of soup you’re making.
Ready to cook down a bit.
If necessary, add a little olive oil to the pot and heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and saute until slightly softened. Add carrots and celery and saute until fragrant. Remove from pot and set aside. If necessary, add a little more olive oil and saute the mushrooms until softened and much of the liquid is cooked out. Return the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables, bacon pieces, then the stock. Drop in the Parmesan rinds. Cover and cook gently until the greens are wilted.
Stir in the pesto. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. Add the beans and fresh herbs. Allow to heat through before serving.
Serving suggestion …
Place a handful of fresh, hot homemade croutons in the bottom of a soup bowl. Sprinkle with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Ladle in the hot soup,garnish with a bit more Parmesan cheese, and enjoy with a hearty glass of Italian red wine!
This makes a very large pot of soup, so be prepared for leftovers. As with many homemade soups, this one is even better the next day. It also freezes well.
* My favorite bacon for this is Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ends & Pieces – I always trim off as much fat as possible before cooking.
** I used Trader Joe’s Misto alla Grigoia Marinated Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini.