-
Prep time
30 minutes -
Cook time
3 hours -
Serves
6
Author Notes
I usually don’t follow a recipe for soup, and I rarely write one down. I wrote up this one for publication, and even if I don’t follow it exactly every time, at least I’ve got a good framework now. —Foodwriter97426
Test Kitchen Notes
You’ll love this delicious, hearty minestrone recipe whenever you have some beans and lots of fresh herbs to use up. This minestrone follows the Italian tradition of relying solely on the vegetables, beans, and a scrap of Parmesan rind for the flavor of the broth, which is made with a base of water. The beans, which are cooked from scratch in the soup broth, enrich the soup, Napa cabbage sweetens it, and a last-minute addition of red wine underscores its heartiness. You might want to start with half the pepper called for and add more to taste, but whatever you do, don’t forget the final pinch of freshly grated Parmesan on top! We also added a cup and a half of water as the soup simmered to keep it nice and brothy. This is also a great make-ahead, hands-off soup, as you can either refrigerate it after it’s made, or simply leave it on the stovetop for up to 2 hours to let the flavors continue to meld. It does take around 3 hours to cook, so this is definitely one of our favorite go-to weekend recipes too.
We also love its versatility. The vegetables can be changed, added to, or deleted with whatever you have on hand. Frankly, the amounts here are only suggestions—feel free to adjust to what you and your family or friends enjoy. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh ones; just be sure to cut the amount by half, and you’ll be good to go. —The Editors
- Test Kitchen-Approved
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Your Best Minestrone/Soupe au Pistou
Contest Finalist
Ingredients
3 tablespoons
(or more) olive or vegetable oil
1
medium onion, chopped
4
garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
6 cups
water
3/4 cup
dry cannellini beans
1/4 cup
dry garbanzo beans
1
bay leaf
2 cups
chopped tomatoes (or 1 can, with juice)
1 cup
fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed
1 cup
sliced and quartered zucchini
1
(2-inch) Parmesan rind
2 teaspoons
fresh oregano
2 teaspoons
fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons
fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
1 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
1
small head of Napa cabbage (about 10 ounces)
1/3 cup
soup pasta (such as ditalini, orzo, or tiny shells)
1/2 cup
red wine
1 cup
shredded Parmesan
Directions
- Heat a heavy 4-quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onions and garlic; reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the water, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are just barely tender.
- Add the tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, cheese rind, oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return to a boil briefly, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, thinly slice and chop the cabbage. Add to the soup along with the pasta and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
- At this point the soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (or left on the stove with the heat off for up to 2 hours). Reheat before serving. When ready to serve, add the wine; season with salt and pepper, if needed. Top with the grated cheese if desired, or pass the cheese at the table.
Prep time 30 minutes Cook time 3 hours Serves 6 Author Notes I usually don’t follow a recipe for soup, and I rarely write one down. I wrote up this one for publication, and even if I don’t follow it exactly every time, at least I’ve got a good framework now. —Foodwriter97426 Test Kitchen Notes You’ll love this delicious, hearty minestrone recipe whenever you have some beans and lots of fresh herbs to use up. This minestrone follows the Italian tradition of relying solely on the vegetables, beans, and a scrap of Parmesan rind for the flavor of the broth, which is made with a base of water. The beans, which are cooked from scratch in the soup broth, enrich the soup, Napa cabbage sweetens it, and a last-minute addition of red wine underscores its heartiness. You might want to start with half the pepper called for and add more to taste, but whatever you do, don’t forget the final pinch of freshly grated Parmesan on top! We also added a cup and a half of water as the soup simmered to keep it nice and brothy. This is also a great make-ahead, hands-off soup, as you can either refrigerate it after it’s made, or simply leave it on the stovetop for up to 2 hours to let the flavors continue to meld. It does take around 3 hours to cook, so this is definitely one of our favorite go-to weekend recipes too.We also love its versatility. The vegetables can be changed, added to, or deleted with whatever you have on hand. Frankly, the amounts here are only suggestions—feel free to adjust to what you and your family or friends enjoy. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh ones; just be sure to cut the amount by half, and you’ll be good to go. —The Editors Test Kitchen-Approved Your Best Minestrone/Soupe au Pistou Contest Finalist Ingredients 3 tablespoons (or more) olive or vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed 6 cups water 3/4 cup dry cannellini beans 1/4 cup dry garbanzo beans 1 bay leaf 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 can, with juice) 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed 1 cup sliced and quartered zucchini 1 (2-inch) Parmesan rind 2 teaspoons fresh oregano 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 small head of Napa cabbage (about 10 ounces) 1/3 cup soup pasta (such as ditalini, orzo, or tiny shells) 1/2 cup red wine 1 cup shredded Parmesan Directions Heat a heavy 4-quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onions and garlic; reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the water, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are just barely tender. Add the tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, cheese rind, oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return to a boil briefly, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. In the meantime, thinly slice and chop the cabbage. Add to the soup along with the pasta and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through. At this point the soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (or left on the stove with the heat off for up to 2 hours). Reheat before serving. When ready to serve, add the wine; season with salt and pepper, if needed. Top with the grated cheese if desired, or pass the cheese at the table.
Minestrone Soup
