Chef Juli's Classic Minestrone Soup
Item #102007
Now Only: $0.00!
This is one of the most versatile soups you can make. Feel free to experiment with whatever ingredients you have on hand including diced chicken, shrimp, salmon, cubed beef, pork or lamb. Minestrone should always have cabbage as one of the ingredients, but beyond that, almost anything goes!
Ingredients: to serve six
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- ½ head green cabbage, sliced in ¼"" pieces
- 2 14 oz. cans beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 15oz. can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
- 8 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 ½"" pieces. If you can find the flat Italian green beans, all the better
- 1 cup dried pasta shapes (ziti, small shells, wagon wheels, mostaccioli, or whatever you wish)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 ripe medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped. If ripe tomatoes are unavailable, use a good quality canned Italian tomato – one 28 oz. can will do it.
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or 1 small head escarole
- Shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish
Preparation:
- In a 4 quart Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat and cook garlic and onion until tender – do not brown or burn.
- Add zucchini, cabbage, broth and water and bring to a boil. (If using vegetable broth, omit the water and use 4 cups vegetable broth)
- Add beans and pasta and return to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer covered 10-12 min. or until pasta is just tender, stirring until tender.
- Stir in basil, tomatoes and spinach or escarole and heat through
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Top with Parmesan cheese
Vegetarian Option:
Replace the beef broth with vegetable or mushroom broth
Serve with Di Leonardo Pinot Grigio or Crivelli Ruche'and enjoy!
