You asked and I’m answering!
For those of you who were able to experience Chent’annos by SubRosa Dining Experience last weekend, thank you so much! Your positivity, excitement and enjoyment are the reasons SubRosa and Chef’s like myself do what we do.
Something that stood out to me when I had the pleasure of meeting many of our guests was the praise over the soup. So many guests LOVED the minestrone soup. “The soup, my goodness!”, “What is the recipe for this soup?”, “Do you have any I could take home?!”
For those of you wondering what event, what soup, what are you talking about crazy pants?? – click here!
Today, February 4, 2020 is National Homemade Soup Day. I only found it fitting that I share my minestrone soup recipe with you all on this perfect day!
The soup course was one of my favorite’s to serve each evening. It’s homey, delicious, and who doesn’t love hovering over a steamy bowl of hot soup on chilly nights?
So let’s just jump right into these details, shall we?
Minestrone is eaten by Sardinians every single day. It’s a staple in their diet. I like to describe this soup as a bountiful vegetable and bean soup – and boy is it bountiful. Traditionally the pasta served in it is fregula, a small Sardinian pasta shape similar to couscous. I love topping the soup with shaved or grated Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh herbs and a GOOD olive oil. Emphasis on *good*.
Recipe:
*Note – although soaking the beans overnight is the best way to make this soup, I will be giving a recipe that uses canned beans. If you would like to use fresh dried beans, soak them overnight and then rinse them off in the morning. This will also affect the cooking time as the beans will be firmer.
Also to share as I do in most of my posts, my recipes are very lenient and never exact. I consistently preach to adjust recipes as you all see fit and by palette preference. Making it you is the fun part! Heck, I never do it exactly the same each time myself…
- 2 16 oz cans of chickpeas – rinsed
- 2 16 oz cans of cannellini beans or fava beans – rinsed
- 1 16 oz can of pinto beans or cranberry beans – rinsed
- 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 5 medium carrots, about a medium/small dice
- 4 large celery STICKS, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 container of veggie stock or broth – you can opt for chicken broth for more flavor
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes. San Marzano are best
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled, medium/small dice (about 11⁄2 -2 cups)
- 1 bulb of fennel, medium dice – save the fronds for garnishing
- 1 cup of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley – finely chopped
- 2 large fresh basil leaves – finely chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp dry basil
- 2⁄3 cup of Sardinian fregula, Israeli/Pearl couscous, or acini di pepe pasta
- Tomato paste in a tube – easier to measure
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh Pecorino Romano
- A cooking grade olive oil
- A GOOD EVOO
Alright, now that we’ve got that squared away, let’s build this soup. Take out the largest metal pot or Dutch oven you own and let’s begin:
Something to note is that we use a mirepoix – carrots, onion and celery. This vegetable medley is used for more than just a flavoring, but rather as a part of the soup itself. That’s why there’s so much. Plus then fennel.
Cover the base of the pot with a thin layer of olive oil and turn on heat to medium-high. Add your mirepoix, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir frequently until they start to get translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add more oil if necessary.
Next, add the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Then, add your fennel and stir for 1 minute. Add your potatoes, beans, 1 Tbsp of finely chopped parsley and basil, kosher salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper (we don’t add too many fresh herbs early on because too many will get brown while cooking. We use a little just for that freshness early). Add the crushed tomatoes and 1 Tbsp of tomato paste. Stir in all together to evenly disperse ingredients.
Next, add the entire container of veggie stock. Add room temperature water to the pot just enough to cover over the mixture by about 3/4 of an inch.
Set a timer for 40 minutes and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling bring the temperature down so the soup has a decent simmer for the rest of the time. Stir frequently. After your timer goes off, add the fregula. Set timer for another 15 minutes or until the fregula is cooked al dente.
Remember, salt and pepper as you go and TASTE your food. Only you will know how you like it or if something is needs more seasoning.
That’s it friends! A delicious homey soup that “tastes like a big hug” (quote from Keena from SubRosa)
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via my Mia Cucina email mia.cucina.products@gmail.com or Instagram mia.cucina.products. I want to make sure that you enjoy this recipe in particular especially well.
Buon Appetito ~
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