Classic Minestrone Soup Recipes

Warm, tangy, spicy, and filling. This classic Italian soup combines vegetables, beans and pasta for it's hardy goodness.

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Main Ingredient: Beans
Categories: Side Dish, Soup, Simple - Easy, Slow cook

-= Ingredients =-
1 pound dried northern white beans
1/2 cup oil
5 slices bacon ; chopped
2 cloves garlic ; chopped
1 large onion ; chopped
4 carrots ; diced
6 celery stalks ; diced
8 ounces Plum tomatoes ; (One can)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cups Potatoes ; peeled & diced
4 med. zucchini ; diced
1/2 pound fresh green beans ; cut into 1/2" pieces
1 small savoy cabbage ; shredded
2 quarts homemade or canned beef broth
1 cup Elbow macaroni ; (or uncooked rice)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese ; grated  or shredded
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

-= Instructions =-
Cover washed beans with water; soak overnight.

In a small skillet, cook oil, bacon, garlic and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beans and put into a large pot; add bacon-onion mixture, carrots, celery, tomatoes and juice, basil, parsley, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, cabbage and broth; cover and simmer 4 hours.   Add the macaroni (or rice) about 1 hour before serving

Before serving, add pepper and salt then top with  Parmesan cheese.
Serve with a good Italian or garlic bread.

Serves 10 to 12.

OPTIONS:
Spinach or Swiss chard can be substituted for cabbage.
Canned beans can be substituted for dried or fresh beans.
Add chunks of browned Italian sausage for a more robust version
Drop the bacon and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version