Mom’s Minestrone Soup
I grew up eating this, and it’s still my #1 request when I go home. Every time I make it, I make a huge vat and tell myself I’m going to freeze some, but none ever makes it to the freezer!
I make a huge vat of this stuff because (1) I just like it, and (2) it’s more economical and you waste less of the veggies.
Feel free to modify the vegetables/amounts based on your personal preference. I also tend to add a lot of cream, noodles, and cheese - so it’s not as healthy as it sounds…
Ingredients
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: A lot (>10 servings)
15c chicken stock
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 white onion chopped finely (165g)
1 1/2c carrots chopped into small pieces (250g)
3/4c celery chopped into small pieces (90g)
12 oz tomato paste (2 small cans)
1 lb diced tomatoes (1 large can)
10 oz great northern beans (white)
10 oz red kidney beans
1.5 lb (1 bag) creamer potatoes chopped into 4-6 pieces each
3oz spinach (100g)
Optional add-ins
Chicken - boiled and shredded
Noodles
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Bring the chicken stock to a boil
In a separate pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat, and add the garlic, letting it cook for about a minute
Add the onions and saute until they become translucent
Add the carrots and celery and cook until the carrots soften
Once your stock is boiling add in the tomato paste and diced tomatoes, stir until well incorporated
At this point, your carrots and celery should be pre-cooked and can be added to the stock
Add the beans and potatoes - continue to boil the soup until the potatoes are cooked through
Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach
At this point you can eat the soup, but I find it’s still too hot and takes a few hours to cool. Waiting a few hours also lets the flavors come together, and i think makes for a better soup.
If you’re planning on making any chicken or noodles, I usually make them while the soup is cooling
This soup refrigerates/freezes really well and actually gets better over time. If I’m adding shredded chicken, I will add it directly to the soup. I only add the noodles as I’m eating the soup and store them in the fridge separately - this way they don’t get soggy.
