Milanese Minestrone Soup
Made with pancetta, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, beans, and rice. It’s full of bold flavor, thanks a Parmesan rind.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup (¼ pound/113 grams) pancetta or unsmoked pork belly, finely chopped
- 2 cups (256 grams) onion, finely chopped
- 4 small garlic cloves peeled, finely chopped
- 4 large celery stalks chopped
- 3 medium carrots. peeled and chopped
- 1 large or 2 medium zucchini/courgette chopped small
- 1 ½ cups (340 grams) potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage finely chopped
- 2 cups (425 grams) peeled and chopped tomatoes, drained of the juice
- 12 cups (3 liters) chicken broth/stock
- Parmesan cheese wedge
- ¾ cup (150 grams) arborio rice
- 2 cups (178 grams) green cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups (425 grams) cannellini beans, rinsed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- To a large soup pan, add the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the pancetta and onions and cook until the onions are softened. Add the garlic and stir, cook for 1 minute. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, basil, parsley and sage. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock.
- Cut the rind (secret ingredient) off the Parmesan cheese and add to the soup.
- Bring to a simmer, partially cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the rice and cabbage, then simmer for 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the soup is thickened. The rice will absorb a lot of the liquid. If it's getting too thick add more broth/stock or water.
- Stir in the cannellini beans and remove the Parmesan rind.
- Taste for seasoning (depending how salty your chicken broth/stock is) and add salt if needed.
- Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Fiber: 15g