Hearty Minestrone Soup
Cozy, comforting and classi, this Hearty Minestrone Soup will take the chill off a cold day. Leave the meat out to make it vegetarian. Magnifico!
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 soup pot
- 1 Large spoon
- Measuring spoons
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 measuring cup
- 1 Can opener
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 3 oz. pancetta optional
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 zucchini or yellow squash cubed
- 4 garlic cloves minced (or 4 tsp.)
- 1.2 small cabbage chopped
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups tomato juice
- 1 can green beans drained
- 1 can cannellini or navy beans drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 lb fresh spinach
- Parmesan rind optional
- 1-2 cups cooked pasta I used elbow macaroni
- Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet until it is no longer pink. Drain the grease and set the ground beef aside.
- To render the fat in a soup pot, fry the pancetta in the olive oil.
- Saute the celery, carrot, onion, zucchini, and garlic in the pan juices until the onion and celery are translucent.
- Add the cabbage and saute until the cabbage is sufficiently wilted.
- Add the ground beef, broth, water and tomato juice. Stir.
- Add the red pepper flakes, bay leaf, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning and thyme.
- Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste has melted.
- Add cannellini beans and green beans.
- Add the spinach a little at a time. Press it down into the liquid and stir until it is wilted.
- Add the Parmesan rind if you have one.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and heat through.
- Garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese.