Working on another soup recipe :-) .... This one is minestrone. I have eaten this soup off and on through the years and NEVER liked it. But it is a much loved soup. And it involves beans. So, I should like it. I was talking about soups with my wife the other day and I’m came to the conclusion that all the minestrone I had ever had was thin, watery, and bland.
Now, that just doesn’t seem like something an Italian grandma would actually make in her kitchen. So, I started researching and investigating and here we go. This is the first run at it, so obviously will need some work and tuning.
Some of the things that I recognized needed to be changed from the minestrone I’ve experienced
Beans - Canned kidney beans. No, no .... replace those with Cannellini that you cook yourself
Veggies - there should be LOTS of veggies in the soup. It should be hearty
Base - Make your own beef stock. The stock you buy in the store is not particularly flavorful or robust
Secret ingredient I discovered - traditional Italian minestrone includes a rind or two from Parmesan wedges
Order of cooking - the order you cook in and when the ingredients are added to the pot are very important. Otherwise you end up with soft, squishy veggies, undercooked beans and pasta, etc
Cutting the ingredients - The veggies, pasta, and beans should all be just about the same size. As should any diced ham, beef, or other meats added to the soup. This gives a consistent mouth feel AND no one ingredient overpowers another.
So, here goes ..... I’ll share pics and stuff of this soup and then do a detailed review at the end. Probably tomorrow. Meanwhile, below is my plan
Steps to this cook
8 oz dry Cannelli beans (I use Rancho Gordo’s Marcella beans)
3 cups chicken stock (for cooking beans)
1/2 cup beer - a lager of some sort
1 cup white wine - not too expensive, something from Italy like a Pinot Grigio
8 cups beef stock (for soup)
4 slices bacon, separated in two
1 medium onion, chopped - 1/3 for the beans, 2/3 for the soup
5 garlic cloves, minced/crushed - 2 for the beans, 3 for the soup
1 leek, white portion only, chopped
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2/3 cup chopped carrot
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped red potatoes
2/3 cup frozen peas
4 oz dry pasta - a smaller macaroni style is best
1 can diced tomatoes
2 rinds from parmesan wedges
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (don’t wimp out and get not fresh)
Optional: some sort of meat .... browned hamburger, diced ham, left over steak, diced .... whatever is handy and works for you. Probably want about a cup worth
Beans method - you may recognize this from every other time I talk about cooking beans :-)
First, remember that if you are cooking Rancho Gordo beans there is no need to pre-soak, etc. If not, then follow your normal bean prep up to the point of cooking, then cook as I describe.
Now reserve the beans in the fridge to stop their cooking. You can separate from the broth and save that for a stew or soup, or you can add it to your soup. As you prefer.
Soup base method - this happens in stages so that everything ends up with a consistent level of done and texture
Potatoes, etc - creating the hearty soup
Finishing the soup
Serve with crusty bread, a Chianti, and some Parmesan on top
Right now I’ve got everything prepped and ready and I’m cooking the beans :-)
Rancho Gordo Marcella beans ... YUM!
Some home made chicken stock .... I freeze it in quart bags to make life easy
Garlic!
Bay leaves
Most of the soup ingredients .... beef stock is in the fridge
Beans, simmering slowly
Now, that just doesn’t seem like something an Italian grandma would actually make in her kitchen. So, I started researching and investigating and here we go. This is the first run at it, so obviously will need some work and tuning.
Some of the things that I recognized needed to be changed from the minestrone I’ve experienced
Beans - Canned kidney beans. No, no .... replace those with Cannellini that you cook yourself
Veggies - there should be LOTS of veggies in the soup. It should be hearty
Base - Make your own beef stock. The stock you buy in the store is not particularly flavorful or robust
Secret ingredient I discovered - traditional Italian minestrone includes a rind or two from Parmesan wedges
Order of cooking - the order you cook in and when the ingredients are added to the pot are very important. Otherwise you end up with soft, squishy veggies, undercooked beans and pasta, etc
Cutting the ingredients - The veggies, pasta, and beans should all be just about the same size. As should any diced ham, beef, or other meats added to the soup. This gives a consistent mouth feel AND no one ingredient overpowers another.
So, here goes ..... I’ll share pics and stuff of this soup and then do a detailed review at the end. Probably tomorrow. Meanwhile, below is my plan
Steps to this cook
- Beans
- Soup base
- Pasta, potatoes, and beans
- Veggies
- Finish and serve
8 oz dry Cannelli beans (I use Rancho Gordo’s Marcella beans)
3 cups chicken stock (for cooking beans)
1/2 cup beer - a lager of some sort
1 cup white wine - not too expensive, something from Italy like a Pinot Grigio
8 cups beef stock (for soup)
4 slices bacon, separated in two
1 medium onion, chopped - 1/3 for the beans, 2/3 for the soup
5 garlic cloves, minced/crushed - 2 for the beans, 3 for the soup
1 leek, white portion only, chopped
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2/3 cup chopped carrot
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped red potatoes
2/3 cup frozen peas
4 oz dry pasta - a smaller macaroni style is best
1 can diced tomatoes
2 rinds from parmesan wedges
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (don’t wimp out and get not fresh)
Optional: some sort of meat .... browned hamburger, diced ham, left over steak, diced .... whatever is handy and works for you. Probably want about a cup worth
Beans method - you may recognize this from every other time I talk about cooking beans :-)
First, remember that if you are cooking Rancho Gordo beans there is no need to pre-soak, etc. If not, then follow your normal bean prep up to the point of cooking, then cook as I describe.
- cut 2 slices of bacon up into chunks, brown in a medium sauce pan and then slowly cook until most of the fat is rendered.
- Reserve the bacon, chop into small pieces, you will add it to the soup
- Cook 1/3 cup onion in the bacon fat until translucent, about 10 minutes
- Add garlic, cook til aromatic, about 1 minute
- Add crumbled bay leaves, cook another minute
- deglaze saucepan with the lager
- add the beans and cover with stock by about 1â€
- Bring to a boil for 5 minutes
- Reduce heat, add a lid, cracked open slightly, manage to a very low simmer. Basically 1-2 bubbles every minute, no more
- Cook until ALMOST done .... we want to pull these beans about 30 minutes prior to being done because they are going in the soup and will cook more there
- Almost done means they still have a bite and are a bit grainy when you chew it.
Now reserve the beans in the fridge to stop their cooking. You can separate from the broth and save that for a stew or soup, or you can add it to your soup. As you prefer.
Soup base method - this happens in stages so that everything ends up with a consistent level of done and texture
- Add remaining two slices of bacon to a soup pot, cook until rendered well and brown, but not crispy
- Reserve the bacon, chop up, add to the other bacon from the beans
- Cook 2/3 of onion, carrots, celery, leek in bacon fat until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes
- Add garlic, cook until aromatic, about 1 minute
- Add cup of wine, deglaze the pot
- Add tomatoes, beef stock and cheese rinds
- Cook at a simmer, lid partially open, for about 15 minutes until you have a hearty beef soup
Potatoes, etc - creating the hearty soup
- Add potatoes, beans, pasta now
- If you will have meat in it, add that now too
- Add the chopped bacon
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer and cook for about 15 minutes
- Check that pasta is done, beans are near done
- If they aren’t, go another 5 minutes, or so
Finishing the soup
- Add the peas and about a cup of Parmesan cheese
- If you are doing other veggies, like zucchini or eggplant, this is the time to add them. Don’t do it earlier and end up with soft, blah stuff.
- Cook at a simmer for another 5-7 minutes
- Cheese should be melting and the peas should be heated through
Serve with crusty bread, a Chianti, and some Parmesan on top
Right now I’ve got everything prepped and ready and I’m cooking the beans :-)
Rancho Gordo Marcella beans ... YUM!
Some home made chicken stock .... I freeze it in quart bags to make life easy
Garlic!
Bay leaves
Most of the soup ingredients .... beef stock is in the fridge
Beans, simmering slowly
Comment