Minestrone alla Romagnola
A vegetable-filled minestrone with beans, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes, inspired by Marcella Hazan's classic recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh zucchini, ends removed
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup onions, sliced very thin
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
- ¼ lb fresh green beans, trimmed and diced
- 3 cups cabbage, shredded
- 6 cups broth of choice
- ⅔ cup canned Italian tomatoes, chopped coarse with their juice
- 1½ cups cannellini beans, drained
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim and dice the zucchini finely.
- Choose a large stockpot and add the olive oil, butter, and onions. Turn on the heat to medium low and cook the onion until it wilts and becomes a pale gold color.
- Add the diced carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the celery.
- Add the diced celery and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the potatoes.
- Add the diced potatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the green beans.
- Add the diced green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the zucchini.
- Add the diced zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the cabbage.
- Add the shredded cabbage and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, as you prep the remainder of the ingredients.
- Add the broth, the cheese rind, the tomatoes in their juice, and salt.
- Stir and cover, lowering the heat so the soup is at a gentle, steady simmer.
- When the soup has cooked for 2½ hours, add the drained beans and stir. Recover and cook for another 30 minutes, at least.
- Cook until the consistency is fairly dense. If it has become too thick, dilute it a bit with extra broth or water.
- Remove the cheese rind and add in the grated cheese, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Don't worry about prepping all of the ingredients before getting started. There is enough time in between adding ingredients for you to prep the next.
Minestrone is even better when served the next day. Simply reheat on the stovetop and correct for salt, if needed. Serve with additional grated Parmesan on the side.