Nigella’s Minestrone Soup is a wholesome Italian classic, brimming with onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, courgettes, green beans, savoy cabbage, cannellini beans, pasta, and Parmesan for a comforting and nutritious meal ready in 2 hours and 20 minutes!
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🧡 Why You’ll Love This Minestrone Soup Recipe:
- Hearty and nutritious, filled with a variety of vegetables and beans.
- Versatile – you can customize it with your favorite veggies or whatever’s in season.
- Easy to make in a big batch for leftovers or freezing.
- Comforting and satisfying, perfect for warming up on cold days.
❓ What Is Nigella’s Minestrone Soup Recipe?
Nigella Minestrone Soup is a traditional Italian dish comprising a flavorful broth simmered with onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, courgettes, green beans, savoy cabbage, cannellini beans, pasta, and Parmesan cheese.
🧅 Nigella Minestrone Soup Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 40 grams butter
- 3 onions (peeled and finely sliced)
- 5 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped fairly small)
- 300 grams potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 3 courgettes (diced)
- 100 grams fine green beans (cut into 1cm / ½ inch lengths)
- 225 grams of savoy cabbage (shredded)
- 1½ liters stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable as you wish)
- rind of a finished piece of Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 400 grams can of cannellini beans (drained)
- 150 grams of ditalini or chifferi rigati (or other soup pasta)
- 40 grams freshly grated Parmesan (plus more to serve)
🥣 How To Make Nigella Minestrone Soup
- Cook the chopped onion in a big pot with the butter and oil until it becomes tender but not browned.
- simmer the chopped carrot for around three minutes before adding the celery, potatoes, courgettes, and French beans; simmer each ingredient for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, afterward. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes after adding the shredded cabbage.
- Stir in the stock and, if using, the cheese rind; then, season to taste.
- Make sure there’s enough liquid for the pasta to soak up as it cooks by covering the pan and simmering gently for 2 hours, or until the soup has reduced significantly. Toss in the pasta just after you’ve added enough water, or more if necessary.
- Turn the heat up a notch and add the pasta cooked according to the package directions after removing the lid and cooking the cannellini beans for 5 minutes.
- When it’s done, take off the Parmesan rind, sprinkle on the new Parmesan, and give it a good turn in the pan. Garnish with additional cheese and serve.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the vegetables; they should be tender but still have a bit of bite.
- Add the pasta towards the end of cooking to prevent it from becoming too soft.
- For extra flavor, use a piece of Parmesan rind in the soup while simmering.
- Adjust the seasoning according to your taste preference.
🥗 What Pairs Nicely With Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone Soup complements well with crusty bread and butter, Caesar salad, grilled cheese sandwich, roasted vegetables, antipasti platter, garlic knots, Parmesan crisps, crostini with tapenade.
🎚 How To Store Leftovers Minestrone Soup?
- In The Fridge: Keep leftover minestrone soup in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- In The Freezer: Freeze leftover minestrone soup in individual portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
🥵 How To Reheat Leftovers Minestrone Soup?
- Stove: Reheat leftover minestrone soup gently on the pot for 10 minutes over medium heat until warmed through.
- Microwave: Heat leftover minestrone soup in a microwave-safe dish for 3 minutes stirring occasionally, until heated evenly.
FAQs
What is the thickening agent for minestrone soup?
Tomato paste acts as a natural thickening agent in minestrone soup, enhancing flavor and adding richness to the broth.
Does minestrone always have pasta?
Minestrone traditionally includes pasta, but variations exist; some recipes omit pasta, focusing solely on the hearty blend of vegetables and beans.
Why does my minestrone soup taste bland?
Your minestrone soup may taste bland if you haven’t added enough acid, like tomatoes or vinegar, to balance flavors.
What’s the difference between minestrone and vegetable soup?
Minestrone typically contains beans and pasta, while vegetable soup is simpler, often lacking these ingredients, focusing solely on vegetables.
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Nigella Minestrone Soup Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
- Calories 143
- Total Fat 2.6g
- Saturated Fat 0.6g
- Cholesterol 7.1mg
- Sodium 611mg
- Potassium 479mg
- Total Carbohydrate 23g
- Dietary Fiber 4.2g
- Sugar 2.5g
- Protein 8.2g
Nigella Minestrone Soup
Description
Nigella’s Minestrone Soup is a wholesome Italian classic, brimming with onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, courgettes, green beans, savoy cabbage, cannellini beans, pasta, and Parmesan for a comforting and nutritious meal ready in 2 hours and 20 minutes!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the chopped onion in a big pot with the butter and oil until it becomes tender but not browned.
- simmer the chopped carrot for around three minutes before adding the celery, potatoes, courgettes, and French beans; simmer each ingredient for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, afterward. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes after adding the shredded cabbage.
- Stir in the stock and, if using, the cheese rind; then, season to taste.
- Make sure there’s enough liquid for the pasta to soak up as it cooks by covering the pan and simmering gently for 2 hours, or until the soup has reduced significantly. Toss in the pasta just after you’ve added enough water, or more if necessary.
- Turn the heat up a notch and add the pasta cooked according to the package directions after removing the lid and cooking the cannellini beans for 5 minutes.
- When it’s done, take off the Parmesan rind, sprinkle on the new Parmesan, and give it a good turn in the pan. Garnish with additional cheese and serve.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the vegetables; they should be tender but still have a bit of bite.
Add the pasta towards the end of cooking to prevent it from becoming too soft.
For extra flavor, use a piece of Parmesan rind in the soup while simmering.
Adjust the seasoning according to your taste preference.