Minestrone della Nonna literally means 'Grandma's Soup', and in this case, it's my own Italian grandma's recipe. For me, it's the ultimate comfort food. It was our favorite as kids, maybe because it tasted so good, or maybe because she called it Jungle Soup to make it seem exciting to distract us from all the veggies in it, veggies all grown in her allotment I might add. We ate steaming, jungly bowls of her cabbages, carrots, and fresh borlotti beans which we often had to shell first. This is an all-weather soup in Italy. It is eaten hot for supper in the wintertime, and at room temperature in the summer, each plate being topped with fresh basil to flavor it as it cools. This recipe makes a thick stew-like soup, so add more stock or water to taste if you prefer something more liquid.
AuthorAnn Ogden GaffneyWhen the vegetables are soft, mix in the cabbage. Cover and sweat for another 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to soften and wilt.
Add the olive oil, garlic and pancetta if using, to a large Dutch oven. Place on the stove. Turn on the heat to medium-high heat. Fry until the garlic turns to a light gold, about 2-3 minutes.
Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and bay leaf. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and turn down the heat to medium low to sweat the vegetables until they begin to soften. Stir occasionally.
When the vegetables are soft, mix in the cabbage. Cover and sweat for another 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to soften and wilt.
Remove lid and turn the heat up to medium high. Mix in the tomatoes and cook until the tomato takes on an orangey color (if using paste, take care it doesn't burn). Add the stock or water and the parmesan rind. Bring to boil. Laay the parsley on top of the soup. Cover, then turn down to simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
If you've added the parmesan rind, lift it out from the pan and dice it up - it will be soft and chewy. Return to the pan. Add the beans. If home cooked add the liquid too. Stir to mix. Bring to a simmer again and add the pasta. Adjust seasoning.
Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Discard bay leaf and parsley. Add in the chopped basil and grind a little black pepper on top. Serve with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Beans:
-It’s OK to use kidney or navy beans instead of cannellini or pinto. Always drain and rinse canned beans before using, even for soups.
- If using home cooked beans like the Basic White Beans no need to drain or rinse them. The broth is low sodium and adds to the flavor. You may want to cut back on the water of stock if you do this.
-If using fresh beans, add them with the cabbage in step 3.
Substitutions:
- Substitute ¼ cup tomato paste for the canned tomatoes.
- In the winter, fresh basil can be hard to find or expensive. Substitute 1 tablespoon of jar pesto OR a handful or two of baby arugula. Stir either into the soup and cook 1 minute.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the olive oil, garlic and pancetta if using, to a large Dutch oven. Place on the stove. Turn on the heat to medium-high heat. Fry until the garlic turns to a light gold, about 2-3 minutes.
Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and bay leaf. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and turn down the heat to medium low to sweat the vegetables until they begin to soften. Stir occasionally.
When the vegetables are soft, mix in the cabbage. Cover and sweat for another 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to soften and wilt.
Remove lid and turn the heat up to medium high. Mix in the tomatoes and cook until the tomato takes on an orangey color (if using paste, take care it doesn't burn). Add the stock or water and the parmesan rind. Bring to boil. Laay the parsley on top of the soup. Cover, then turn down to simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
If you've added the parmesan rind, lift it out from the pan and dice it up - it will be soft and chewy. Return to the pan. Add the beans. If home cooked add the liquid too. Stir to mix. Bring to a simmer again and add the pasta. Adjust seasoning.
Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Discard bay leaf and parsley. Add in the chopped basil and grind a little black pepper on top. Serve with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Beans:
-It’s OK to use kidney or navy beans instead of cannellini or pinto. Always drain and rinse canned beans before using, even for soups.
- If using home cooked beans like the Basic White Beans no need to drain or rinse them. The broth is low sodium and adds to the flavor. You may want to cut back on the water of stock if you do this.
-If using fresh beans, add them with the cabbage in step 3.
Substitutions:
- Substitute ¼ cup tomato paste for the canned tomatoes.
- In the winter, fresh basil can be hard to find or expensive. Substitute 1 tablespoon of jar pesto OR a handful or two of baby arugula. Stir either into the soup and cook 1 minute.
