Minestrone
Minestrone literally means 'big soup' and is less a fixed recipe than a method — the classic dish of Italian peasant cooking, designed to use whatever vegetables were on hand and in season. There's no definitive ingredient list; every region, every home kitchen has its own version, and a cook in Liguria would use entirely different vegetables from one in Tuscany. What stays constant is the technique: vegetables diced small and sautéed at the start for depth, beans for body, and pasta added separately, never boiled in the big pot — otherwise it soaks up all the broth and the soup runs out before the last bowl is served. A parmesan rind tossed into the simmering pot is the old trick of Italian home kitchens: nothing gets wasted, and the rind leaves behind a depth you can't get any other way.
Finely diced vegetables
All cut to similar size for even cooking
Beans for body
Partly mashed, they thicken the broth naturally
Parmesan rind simmered in
Adds effortless umami depth
Pasta added at the end
Cooked separately so it never turns mushy
Ingredients 6 servings
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 courgette, diced
- 150 g green beans, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 2 cans (400 g each) chopped tomatoes
- 1.5 l vegetable stock
- 1 parmesan rind (optional, but recommended)
- 1 can (400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 100 g small pasta (ditalini or short macaroni)
- 150 g savoy cabbage or spinach, shredded
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Grated parmesan and fresh basil, to serve
How to make it
- 1SAUTÉ THE BASE VEGETABLES: heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not browned — this mixture is the flavour foundation of the soup.
- 2ADD THE GARLIC AND FIRMER VEGETABLES: stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then add the courgette and green beans, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- 3POUR IN THE LIQUIDS: add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and the parmesan rind if using; stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- 4SIMMER WITH THE BEANS: add the cannellini beans, bay leaf and thyme, bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- 5MASH SOME OF THE BEANS: scoop out a few spoonfuls of the cannellini beans, mash them with a fork and stir them back into the pot — this thickens the broth naturally without any flour or cream.
- 6COOK THE PASTA SEPARATELY: in a separate pot of salted water, cook the small pasta until al dente, drain and set aside — cooking it directly in the soup means it soaks up all the broth and turns mushy before you finish serving the rest.
- 7ADD THE GREENS AND FINISH: remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf, stir in the shredded cabbage or spinach and simmer 3-4 minutes more until wilted; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 8SERVE: spoon some cooked pasta into each bowl, ladle the hot soup over it, then scatter with grated parmesan and freshly chopped basil.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
