Minestrone
Italian vegetable stew with beans and small pasta, simmered with a Parmesan rind.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 517 kcal
- Servings
- 6
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cooking & baking
- 45 min
Italian vegetable stew with beans and small pasta, simmered with a Parmesan rind. The simmered cheese rind is the trick of Italian grandmothers and gives the broth a savory depth that cannot be achieved with anything else. A stew that uses whatever is currently available.
Why this works
Parmesan ages for at least twelve months, during which enzymes break down its protein into free amino acids, including a lot of glutamic acid. This is exactly what you taste as umami, and it is particularly concentrated in the hard rind. In the broth, it dissolves slowly and gives the soup a hearty depth that no vegetable can provide. The rind itself becomes soft but does not release any fat, so the soup remains clear.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Start the soffritto
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, carrots and celery over medium heat for twelve minutes until everything is soft and slightly sweet. This soffritto is the basis of almost every Italian soup and really needs this time, otherwise the stew will taste thin in the end.
- 2
Roast the tomato paste
Add the garlic and tomato paste and roast both for two minutes while stirring until the paste darkens and the raw taste disappears. Only then add the potatoes, zucchini and green beans to the pot and toss briefly.
- 3
Pour in liquids with Parmesan rind
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and vegetable broth and add the Parmesan rind and bay leaves. The rind partially dissolves while simmering and releases a salty, nutty flavor that no broth in the world can replace. Let everything simmer gently for twenty-five minutes.
- 4
Beans and pasta
Add the cannellini beans and mash a third of them against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Stir in the small pasta and cook according to the package instructions. If you plan for leftovers, it is better to cook the pasta separately because otherwise it will swell up overnight.
- 5
Greens and finish
Fold in the kale or savoy cabbage in the last five minutes so that it becomes soft but retains its color. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves and season well. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan, fresh basil and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Our best tips
- Collect and freeze Parmesan rinds. They are the best flavor tool for soups and sauces.
- Mashing some of the beans thickens the soup without any flour or cream.
- If you have leftovers, cook the pasta separately, otherwise you will have mush instead of stew on the second day.
Tasty variations
Minestrone alla Genovese
Stir in two spoonfuls of pesto at the end, which is the Ligurian variation.
Vegan
Omit the Parmesan rind and stir in a teaspoon of miso paste and nutritional yeast instead.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 517 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| – of which sugar | 10 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 11 g |
Where the 517 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
What is typical for a minestrone?
There is no fixed recipe. It follows the season and what is available. The only constants are soffritto, beans, some pasta or rice and lots of vegetables.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes, soak 200 g overnight and cook separately until tender. They taste better but require preparation. You can also use the cooking water.
How long does minestrone keep?
Four days in the fridge and it gets better every day. Without pasta, it also freezes well.
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