Minestrone Soup from the Brown Eyed Baker

Minestrone Soup

January 19, 2012 |  36 Comments |  Email |  Print

Back in the day (the way-back day) when I was in college, I had a brief love affair with minestrone soup. I can’t remember my mom ever making it at home, nor do I remember having it from a can at any point, so I had already spent about 20 years on this earth without minestrone being on my radar. Enter night class. One particular semester I had a night class in a building that was on the outskirts of campus. (As outskirted as you could be up on the bluff!) I would always wander over to Fisher Hall a little early and stop at the little cafe that was nestled in the bottom floor of the building to grab something to eat before class. On a particularly chilly night when I was craving something warm I decided to try the minestrone soup. Not being a vegetable lover, I was shocked at how much I adored that little bowl of soup. I loved the warmth, the heartiness, the beans, and it made me feel at home. From that night on, the minestrone soup was my Monday night ritual before class, and I loved it each and every time. I haven’t eaten it much since college, but always think about how I need to wrangle a recipe that I love, and I’ve finally done so. And it’s every bit as wonderful as I remembered.

This is one of the simplest soups I have ever made, but it does contain one key ingredient – a piece of Parmesan cheese rind. The rind simmers away with the soup and helps to create more of a stock, with an intensified and more developed flavor than if you leave it out. I highly recommend not skipping this!

One of the best things about this recipe is that it is easily customizable to suit your tastes (and what’s currently in your refrigerator). Mix and match flavors, different vegetables, and even types of beans. Want to use kale instead of spinach? Go for it! This is a great formula for a completely customizable vegetable and bean soup.

I also highly recommend eating a bowl with a nice big chunk of homemade focaccia bread 

Minestrone Soup

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

2 small leeks (or 1 large), white and light green parts sliced thin crosswise (about ¾ cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped small (about ¾ cup)
2 small onions, peeled and chopped small (about ¾ cup)
2 medium stalks celery, trimmed and chopped small (about ¾ cup)
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1¼ cups)
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped medium (about 1¼ cups)
3 cups stemmed spinach leaves, cut into thin strips
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained and chopped
8 cups water
1 Parmesan cheese rind, about 5 by 2 inches
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)

1. Bring the leeks, carrots, onion, celery, potato, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, water, cheese rind, and salt to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the cheese rind.

2. Add the beans and cook just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the pesto. Adjust the seasonings, adding pepper and more salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

(Recipe adapted from The Best Soups and Stews)