Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is Italy's classic vegetable-and-bean soup, a rustic dish with countless regional variations built around whatever vegetables are seasonal, thickened with beans and small pasta or rice. It's a hearty, wholesome one-pot meal traditionally finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

By YumYum Editorial · Italian

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 45 min · Total: 65 min · Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage or kale
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 parmesan rind (optional, for depth)
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup small pasta (ditalini or small shells)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• to taste Salt and black pepper, to taste
• to taste Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Stir in the zucchini and cabbage and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, stock, parmesan rind, bay leaf, and oregano, and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover partially and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6. Stir in the cannellini beans and small pasta, and cook for 8-10 minutes more until the pasta is al dente.
7. Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind, then season generously with salt and pepper.
8. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.