Minestrone is an Italian peasant soup, the most basic dish of Italian country cuisine. The name literally means “big soup” in Italian, but in the 17th and 18th centuries, that definition narrowed from a kitchen-sink dish including all kinds of ingredients to a purely vegetable soup. Brought to the United States by Italian immigrants, minestrone was once again subject to experimentation. In this recipe, the soup touches upon Mexican cultural roots and includes spicy, smoky chorizo sausage.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small red chile, finely chopped
- 2 chorizo sausages, peeled and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1¼ cups small dried pasta shapes
- ½ cup frozen peas, run under hot water and drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, as needed for serving
Directions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, chile, and chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
- Add the carrot and celery and continue to cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and the stock and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes, until the pasta is just tender.
- Add the peas, beans, and parsley, stirring to mix, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
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