Minestrone Soup
A traditional Italian minestrone soup recipe that is full of vegetables and flavor.
Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry cannelloni beans
- ½ cup dry garbanzo beans
- ½ cup dry red beans
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups water cold
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon cut in ½ inch pieces
- 2 onions cut in ½ inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery cut in ½ inch pieces
- 1 leek white and light green parts only, cut in ½ inch pieces
- 2 large large carrots cut into ½ inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 quarts chicken broth
- 1 bottle red wine
- 2 (15 ounce) can canned tomatoes
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 2 zucchini 8-inch long, chopped to ½ inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh green beans cut to 1-inch pieces
- 3 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Measure the cannelloni, garbanzo and red beans into a heavy bottomed pan, add the tablespoon of salt, cover with the water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer and cook while preparing the soup.
- In a very large soup/stock pot add the bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till crisp and browned. To the bacon and the drippings, add the chopped onion, celery, leek, carrot and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are just softened, 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock, red wine, tomatoes, pasta/marinara sauce, zucchini and green beans . Add the bay leaves and parsley and season to your taste preference with salt and pepper.
- Remove the cannelloni, garbanzo and red beans from the heat, drain them and add to the soup pot. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for one hour. Remove bay leaf and serve each bowl of soup sprinkled with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Cooked pasta is a great addition and can be cooked separately and added in bowls at serving.
- If freezing the soup do not include pasta as it becomes soggy when the soup is thawed and reheated.
- Spinach, kale or any leafy greens are a wonderful addition to this soup
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1300mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2.3g
