Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can cannelini beans sometimes I'll use 2
- 1 small to medium head of cabbage
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 medium potatoes diced
- 3 tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 cartons chicken broth or stock vegetable stock or water is fine
- 2 cups water
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- Parmesan cheese rind optional
Instructions
- Wash and chop all you veggies and garlic except for the cabbage.
- In a large pot ( I use the biggest one I have) heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped veggies and saute until the vegetables become tender- about 10 minutes. Drop the heat if the potatoes start sticking. Add salt and pepper to get the veggies to start releasing their juices. Keep an eye on this and stir occasionally.
- While the veggies cook down a bit. Core the cabbage. I usually make a rectangle shape around the core with a sharp knife.
- Pop out the core.
- Dice up you cabbage into bite sized pieces.
- You veggies should be looking good. Now add the cabbage to the pot and give everything a mix. Add more salt and pepper. Let the cabbage cook down for about 10 minutes.
- Next add the chicken broth and water. Bring it to a rolling simmer and add the beans. Don't drain them just add the whole can.
- Add the Parmesan cheese rind if using. Let everything cook together at a high simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the cabbage and potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
- Freeze any leftover soup.
Notes
You can always puree the soup in a blender and add some cooked pasta. We use ditalini, but any small pasta will work. Top with Parmesan cheese. If the soup is too thick after blending, just add some water until you get your desired consistency. Check your seasonings, the water may have diluted the soup a little.
