Minestrone is a hearty, filling, and vitamin-rich Italian soup that is perfect for any occasion! It can be served as the main course with hot bread and a nice salad on the side. There is no set recipe and one may add any vegetables they may have in their home. In this recipe, we like to add celery, onion, garlic, carrots, spinach, and tomatoes. This is my mother’s recipe and she has been making it ever since I was a little girl. It is my favorite and I hope you love it too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Ditalini pasta
- 4 large carrots – chopped
- 1/2 onion – chopped
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 celery heart – chopped
- 2 cans of kidney beans (dark red)
- 3 lb chuck roast
- Fresh or frozen spinach (20 oz)
- 56 oz of pureed or crushed tomatoes – an equal amount of water or beef stock (56 oz)
- Grated cheese of your choice to top
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Wash and peel carrots and chop into quarter inch sections. Wash the celery heart and chop into quarter inch sections. Rinse beans and set aside in a bowl.
- Trim fat and cube chuck roast then add salt and pepper to the meat. Brown meat in a large soup pot that has garlic, onion, and olive oil. Add carrots and celery to the pot and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes and 56 oz of liquid (either water or beef stock). Cook on low heat until carrots and celery are soft (about 2 hours). Note: Cooking on low heat for a long period of time will allow the meat to become very tender.
- While this is cooking, add half a lb of ditalini to salted boiling water and cook until a little firmer than al dente. When pasta is cooked, set aside in a bowl with butter or olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick.
- In the last half hour of soup cooking, add in the kidney beans and spinach. Before serving, pour pasta into the soup and let it absorb the soup flavor and soften a little. Top with the cheese (we love to add shredded mozzarella) of your choice and enjoy!
