ULTIMATE Minestrone Soup
Kimberly Killebrew
A delicious minestrone soup after traditional Italian fashion: Packed full of healthy vegetables, beans, pasta and featuring a deliciously rich broth infused with smoky pancetta or bacon!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Entree, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 389 kcal
- 6 ounces diced pancetta or bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 large carrots , diced
- 3 ribs celery , diced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 8 cups quality chicken broth (we use and recommend Aneto 100% natural chicken broth)
- 4 Roma tomatoes , diced
- 1 medium potato , diced
- 15 ounce can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can kidney beans or borlotti/cranberry beans , drained and rinsed
- 1/2 pound green beans , trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup shelled green peas (canned, fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 cup ditalini or other tiny pasta (I used tripolini in the photos)
- 3 cups chopped kale , or greens of choice, e.g. Swiss chard, collards, spinach
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese , for serving (optional)
For VEGETARIAN VERSION: Omit the pancetta, use vegetable broth, and add 1/4 cup of pesto.
For VEGAN VERSION same as vegetarian version plus use vegan Parmesan or omit.
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 1363mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5989IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 5mg