Best Grandmas Minestrone Recipes

ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
• Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
• Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
• Past this time veggies will become super soft and will "melt" one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
• Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
• As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
• If you're not planning to serve minestrone right away, don't add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you're ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
• Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
• Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

FAT GRANNY'S MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Combine Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil and butter together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir carrot, celery, and onion until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, and Italian seasoning mixture; stir to combine.
• Stir tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, three bean salad, green beans, and chicken stock into seasoned vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in elbow macaroni before serving.

WINTER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

GRANDMA'S MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for five minutes over medium heat. Use a large soup pot.
• Add celery, carrots, oregano, basil, and salt and cook for ten minutes.
• Add bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, water and tomato sauce. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add beans and simmer for five minutes.
• Add the pasta and cook until tender (check the pasta package for the time required).
• Add the tomatoes and heat through.
• You can sprinkle each bowl with chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and/or fresh ground black pepper. Enjoy!