Authentic Minestrone Recipe Italy, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Some basic skills with a knife, seasonal vegetables, and a large pot — these three things are all you need for preparing minestrone, a hearty, rich and nutritious Italian soup. In fact, minestrone is often viewed as a legitimate option for lunch or dinner, especially when paired with some quality Italian bread and a glass of wine. The beauty of minestrone lies in the fact that it does not have a set list of ingredients — it changes depending on the season. Still, most recipes do include onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and legumes, such as beans or peas. The process starts with chopping the vegetables into pieces of similar size, usually into cubes. The next step is to choose one of the two available techniques. One is a crudo, which is tossing the raw vegetables into the water, then gently simmering them until they are fully cooked. The other is col soffritto, meaning the vegetables — and optionally bacon — will first be sautéed with ... Read more
Pair with
Cooking tips
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seasonal vegetables
There is a long list of vegetables that go into a minestrone soup. In autumn and winter, minestrone is usually made with carrot, cauliflower, different types of cabbage, potatoes, turnip, dried beans, leek, and celery. During spring and summer, it is best with chard, asparagus, broccoli, fresh beans, peas, eggplant, zucchini, and pepper. -
vegetables to avoid
Artichokes, radicchio, and chicory will make the minestrone bitter; corn and sweet potato will give it too much sweetness; while rocket salad and Brussels sprouts have a dominant flavor — hence, they are better to avoid. -
bacon
Winter varieties of minestrone, and those prepared in Nothern Italy, often include bacon. It is best incorporated using the col soffritto technique. The bacon should be diced finely and sautéed shortly in hot oil or lard with other root vegetables, and then cooked with the rest of the vegetables in water or stock. -
cooking
To keep the colors of the vegetables vibrant, simmer the minestrone in a pot without a lid and on low to medium heat. The pressure cooker will shorten the process, but it will make the vegetables bland and pale, so it is not the best option for cooking minestrone. Some chefs suggest adding the vegetables gradually. Start with the ones which take a longer time to cook, such as beans and carrots, and ... Read more -
herbs
The most common herb-infused variety of minestrone is the one from the province of Liguria, namely from the city of Genoa, where they enrich the minestrone with their Genovese sauce based on basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. In Tuscany, sage and rosemary are often added to minestrone, while the northern variety is the least aromatic one and often includes bacon or ... Read more -
shaken, not stirred
Since it often includes delicate vegetables such as zucchini, it is advisable to stir minestrone as little as possible during cooking. Rather than stirring, it is better to shake the pot gently and keep the heat on the lowest setting — the minestrone should only be simmering and not boiling. -
rice and pasta
If you decide to make minestrone with rice, add it at around 20 minutes before the end of cooking. When it comes to pasta, the Italians usually opt for pasta minuta — a small-sized pasta of different shapes which is done in a couple of minutes, which is why it is added at the very end of cooking.
Recipe variations
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Minestrone with Bacon
Ready in 35minThis recipe shows how to make minestrone with a rich array of vegetables and with bacon, but without pasta or rice. The technique is a combination of a crudo and col soffrito, since some of the vegetables are sautéed prior to cooking, and some of them are used fresh.
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Italian Academy of Cuisine's Minestrone
Ready in 50minTypical for the Marche region in Central Italy, this minestrone recipe was adapted from AccademiaItalianaCucina.it. This highly seasonal recipe is valid only for the time of the year when fresh maize is available — late summer to early autumn. Alternatively, broccoli, peas, and green leafy vegetables can also be used, and the herbs such as marjoram, thyme, basil, and parsley are also used based on their availability. Also, the recipe states a pork chop used to be added to this dish.
Minestrone with Bacon
PREP 15min
COOK 20min
READY IN 35min
This recipe shows how to make minestrone with a rich array of vegetables and with bacon, but without pasta or rice. The technique is a combination of a crudo and col soffrito, since some of the vegetables are sautéed prior to cooking, and some of them are used fresh.
Ingredients
Minestrone with Bacon
200g (7 oz) pumpkin
2 medium potatoes
2 zucchini
200g (7 oz) tomatoes
300g (10.5 oz) cabbage or kale
2 carrots
2 ribs celery
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
50 g bacon
4 tbsp olive oil
100g (3.5 oz) fresh beans
100g (3.5 oz) fresh peas
salt
parsley
4 basil leaves
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Preparation
Minestrone with Bacon
Start by washing and peeling the vegetables. Cut the potatoes and pumpkin into cubes, the zucchini and tomatoes into small pieces, and cabbage or kale into strips. Finely chop the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Finally, cut the bacon into cubes or strips.
Sauté carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil in a large pan. Add bacon and let it turn brown.
Add pumpkins, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, beans, and peas. Season with salt, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and let simmer until all the vegetables are cooked – 40 to 50 minutes.
Chop parsley and basil and add them to the minestrone.
Serve warm or lukewarm, sprinkled with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzled with olive oil.
Other Variations
-
Italian Academy of Cuisine's Minestrone
Ready in 50minTypical for the Marche region in Central Italy, this minestrone recipe was adapted from AccademiaItalianaCucina.it. This highly seasonal recipe is valid only for the time of the year when fresh maize is available — late summer to early autumn. Alternatively, broccoli, peas, and green leafy vegetables can also be used, and the herbs such as marjoram, thyme, basil, and parsley are also used based on their availability. Also, the recipe states a pork chop used to be added to this dish.
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