Minestrone Soup
Minestrone Soup
A hearty Italian vegetable soup with pancetta, white kidney beans and diced tomatoes, simmered with a bouquet garni and finished with plenty of grated parmesan.
Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes
What Is Minestrone Soup?
A classic Italian minestrone: a brothy, vegetable-packed soup built on a base of pancetta, onion and garlic, with white kidney beans and tomatoes for body and a herb bouquet for aroma.
Why Make Minestrone Soup?
- A nourishing, vegetable-rich one-pot meal
- White kidney beans add protein and substance
- Flexible — use whatever vegetables you have
- Tastes even better the next day
- Naturally hearty without being heavy
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 1/2 oz pancetta (diced)
- 2 onions (medium, chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 potato (peeled, in 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1 carrot (peeled, in chunks)
- 1 leek (sliced into rings)
- 1/2 green cabbage (shredded)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 425 mL diced tomatoes
- 200 mL white kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 1/2 cups ham or chicken stock (diluted with 2 1/2 cups boiling water)
- bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme, tied)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- parmesan cheese (freshly grated, to serve)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the pancetta, onions and garlic and fry about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden.
- Add the potato, carrot, leek, cabbage and celery and cook 2 minutes, stirring to coat in the oil.
- Add the diced tomatoes, white kidney beans, stock and bouquet garni and stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
- Remove the bouquet garni, season with salt and pepper, and serve with plenty of grated parmesan.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the vegetables a similar size so they cook evenly
- Tie the herbs into a bouquet garni for easy removal
- Drain and rinse canned beans before adding
- Finish each bowl with grated parmesan
- Add a parmesan rind while simmering for extra depth
Frequently Asked Questions About Minestrone Soup
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1. Can I make minestrone vegetarian?
Yes; leave out the pancetta and use vegetable stock. A parmesan rind adds savoury depth.
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2. Can I add pasta?
Yes; stir in a small pasta shape in the last 10 minutes, adding a little more stock as needed.
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3. How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; it thickens, so loosen with stock or water when reheating.
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4. Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to 3 months. If adding pasta, freeze the soup without it and add fresh pasta when reheating.
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5. What beans work best?
White kidney (cannellini) beans are traditional, but romano or red kidney beans also work well.
Cooking Guides & Tips
- Canned Tomatoes Explained: Whole, Diced, Crushed, Plum and Pezzettoni A plain-language guide to the main kinds of canned tomatoes — whole, diced, crushed, plum, San Marzano-type and Pezzettoni — and which to reach for in sauces, soups and stews.
- The Mediterranean Diet and the Italian Pantry How the Italian pantry fits the Mediterranean way of eating — olive oil, beans, tomatoes, fish and vegetables — and easy meals that follow it.
- Cooking for Lower Sodium: No-Salt-Added Pantry Swaps Simple pantry swaps and habits to cut sodium without losing flavour — starting with no-salt-added canned goods.
Minestrone Soup Made Simple
Minestrone is the ultimate use-what-you-have Italian soup, hearty and comforting in every spoonful. Unico beans and tomatoes give it a dependable, satisfying base.