Description
A heartwarming bowl of Italian Green Minestrone, packed with fresh vegetables and hearty beans for a comforting, nutritious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 onion, diced small
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 qt low sodium vegetable stock
- 1.5 cups golden potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1.5 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 15 oz canned borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup baby arugula or spinach
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch sea salt (to taste)
- 4 inches Parmesan rind (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the base: In a soup pot over medium heat, add a lug of olive oil. Toss in the diced onion, celery, and carrot with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes until softened.
- Flavor it up: Add the sliced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black peppercorns. Stir to coat and let the flavors meld for another minute.
- Add the green: Stir in the shredded cabbage and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until it wilts.
- Simmer it down: Mix in the diced potatoes, Parmesan rind if using, and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring this mixture to a simmer and let it cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, roughly 10 minutes.
- Finish off: Stir in the drained beans and adjust seasonings with more sea salt, if needed.
- Prepare the pesto: While the minestrone is simmering, blend fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese until smooth.
Notes
This minestrone can be customized with seasonal vegetables or different beans. Enjoy it with crusty bread or salad for a balanced meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 5mg