Description
This spring minestrone is light, brothy, and packed with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs. Inspired by Marcella Hazan, it uses potatoes for a hearty feel and comes together in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 3-4 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced red or gold potatoes
- 1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand (see step 2)
- 3 cups beans of choice (see notes)
- 4 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chopped kale or spinach
- 1 cup peas, shelled fresh or frozen
- Chopped dill and parsley
- Juice from 1 lemon
- For serving: shredded parmesan, crusty bread, olive oil, lemon
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics. Preheat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic. Reduce heat slightly to medium-low and sauté for 10-12 minutes until very soft. Be sure not to brown (add more oil or water if needed to prevent browning). Add the potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Crush tomatoes. Pour the entire can of tomatoes into a large bowl. With clean hands, squeeze the whole tomatoes so they crush through your fingers. Measure out 1 cup for the soup, then reserve the rest for another use.
- Simmer. Add the cup of crushed tomatoes, beans, broth, parmesan rind, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Stir in remaining veg. Stir in the spinach (or kale) and peas until they break down. Turn off the heat and generously shower with chopped dill and parsley, plus fresh lemon juice squeezed directly into the pot. Ladle into bowls immediately and top with shredded parmesan, drizzles of olive oil, and bread and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Beans. I love using 2-3 different beans for varied texture and color. If you prefer canned, just find two 15-ounce cans if your favorite: butter beans, cannellini, kidney, garbanzos. I often combine canned and dried, simmering a pot of cranberry beans or Scarlett runner beans beforehand.
- Storage & freezing. Store this soup in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze for up to three months.
- Greens. Use whatever greens are growing, especially if you can get some locally. Spinach, collards, chard, and kale are all favorites!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hearty bowl
- Calories: 261
- Sugar: 8.2 g
- Sodium: 1105.8 mg
- Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.5 g
- Fiber: 13.8 g
- Protein: 11.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
