As the cold weather settles in, there's nothing quite like a warm and hearty bowl of minestra to chase away the chill. This classic Italian soup is a delightful blend of vegetables, beans, and pasta, simmered in a flavorful broth. With its rustic charm and comforting flavors, winter minestra is the perfect dish to nourish your body and soul on a cold winter's day. Whether you're a seasoned home cook or just starting out, this versatile soup offers endless possibilities for customization, so you can tailor it to your own preferences.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
WINTER MINESTRONE
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 55m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
WINTER MINESTRONE
Provided by Melissa Roberts
Categories Soup/Stew Bean Dinner Lunch Bacon Celery Carrot Winter Family Reunion Cabbage Escarole Potluck Gourmet Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in a wide 7-to 9-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard.
- Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, reserving leaves. Stir chard stems into pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 45 minutes total. (Set aside chard leaves.)
- Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (Paste may stick to pot, but don't let it burn.)
- Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then add hot water (3 quarts), scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot.
- Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole, and parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.
- Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind. Season soup with salt and pepper. If using ditalini, stir in just before serving.
WINTER MINESTRONE - GIADA DE LAURENTIIS
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian. I can't wait to make this one! (minus the pork)
Provided by Queen of my kitchen
Categories Winter
Time 55m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.).
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 328, Fat 9.6, SaturatedFat 2.3, Cholesterol 6.2, Sodium 395.7, Carbohydrate 46.7, Fiber 11.3, Sugar 4.8, Protein 17
MINESTRA
This is a very conforting soup my Mum use to make a lot. Unortunately, I don't have her recipe but recently found this one in our local paper, courtesy of Ike DeLorenzo. He suggests using the best sausage you can find for this dish. His choice, cacciatorini, a dry, aged, spicy salami or pork and beef, or salsiccia Napoletana piccante, an excellent dry sausage from Naples. The use of the Parmedan rind flavors the whole soup.
Provided by dojemi
Categories Low Cholesterol
Time 1h5m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Cook garlic, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Add salami (or pepperoni) and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until it begins to render its fat.
- Add the chicken stock and cheese rind (if using).
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl with a fork, mash about 1 cup of the beans, set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a steamer over boiling water, steam the escarole and other greens for 15 minutes.
- Add the escarole, red pepper, and cannellini beans (mashed and whole) to the pot.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Add the spinach and cook 5 minutes more or until it wilts.
- Remove the cheese rind,(if using).
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add more dalt and pepper, if needed.
- Ladel into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan.
MINESTRA MARITATA
Try this recipe from Nate Appleman's "A16 Food and Wine" for a hearty meal.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add dandelion greens and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a wire skimmer, transfer greens to a colander to drain. Add rapini to boiling water and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a wire skimmer, transfer rapini to a colander to drain. Add cabbage to boiling water and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain and set greens aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery, garlic, bay leaf, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until celery and garlic are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Stir in greens and both brodos. Let simmer until greens are tender, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add meatballs during the last 5 minutes of cooking, if desired.
- Ladle soup into warmed bowls; drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
CONTEST-WINNING EASY MINESTRONE
This minestrone soup recipe is special to me because it's one of the few dinners my entire family loves. And I can feel good about serving it because it's full of nutrition and low in fat. -Lauren Brennan, Hood River, Oregon
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h5m
Yield 11 servings (2-3/4 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 180 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 4mg cholesterol, Sodium 443mg sodium, Carbohydrate 29g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 8g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
THE RIVER CAFE'S WINTER MINESTRONE
A really thick, filling minestrone soup - tastes even better after a day
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Soup
Time 1h45m
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and slowly fry the carrots, onion and celery until soft and dark. This will take about 20 minutes but it's worth it - the slow cooking gives a lovely taste. Add the garlic, chard stalks and half the parsley, and stir to prevent sticking. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced.
- Add half the Swiss chard leaves, half the cavolo nero, three-quarters of the beans, and the boiling stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour in more stock if needed - don't add too much - it should be thick.
- Add the remaining Swiss chard and cavolo nero and blanch briefly so they remain green and crisp. Season when slightly cooled.
- Purée the remaining cannellini beans coarsely in a blender with some of the cooking liquid. Add to the soup - it should be very green. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 263 calories, Fat 10 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 27 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 9 grams fiber, Protein 17 grams protein, Sodium 2.64 milligram of sodium
WINTER MINESTRONE WITH PESTO CROûTES
Keep the winter out and warmth in with nutritious minestrone and pesto croûtes
Provided by Mary Cadogan
Categories Lunch, Snack, Soup, Supper
Time 55m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and lardons or bacon and fry for about 5 mins until the onion is starting to brown. Tip in the carrots, celery, potato and garlic, stir well and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, stock and sage, and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat to simmer and cook partly covered for 30 mins, stirring in the cabbage after 15 mins. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pan with the parsley. Season and serve with pesto croûtes, see right, or crusty bread.
- For the pesto croûtes: Cut 3-4 slices of crusty bread into chunks, about 2cm thick. Tip into an ovenproof pan. Mix the olive oil and pesto, then add to the bread, tossing it with your hands until the croûtes are evenly coated. Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 mins until crisp.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 274 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 28 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 8 grams fiber, Protein 13 grams protein, Sodium 2.56 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use fresh, seasonal vegetables. This will result in a more flavorful soup.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of vegetables. There are many different vegetables that can be used in minestra, so feel free to mix and match until you find a combination that you like.
- Add some protein to your soup. This can be done by adding beans, lentils, or meat. This will help to make the soup more filling and satisfying.
- Season your soup to taste. Minestra is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, but you can also add other herbs and spices to taste.
- Serve minestra with a side of bread or salad. This will help to round out the meal.
Conclusion:
Minestra is a delicious and versatile soup that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a great way to use up leftover vegetables and it is also a very affordable meal. If you are looking for a hearty and flavorful soup to warm you up on a cold winter day, then minestra is the perfect choice.
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