Minestrone Memories

My husband grew up in a big Italian family. To this day I can't go anywhere where I have to use my last name, without someone saying, "Oh! Are you related to ...?"  Yeah, probably. Have no clue. I was super excited getting 'in' with an Italian family because I'm a foodie, and naturally assumed I'd be busting at the seams after every visit. I couldn't have been more wrong.


Nick's family is third and fourth and fifth generation Italian. And if there were any cooking genes in that family... they've long since been watered down. Much like their soup. I cannot tell you the profound disappointment I've had with meals from his family. It's so bad that when you visit for dinner, you need to eat before you go... then feign stomach cramps and wait it out on the couch, moaning softly, until dinner is over. Yeah, it's that bad.


So when Nick's mom helpfully wanted to teach me to cook while we were dating ... I took her advice with a grain of salt. Then added a few grains of my own. And some pepper. And some texture, and flavor, and visual appeal. So, with many fond memories of developing my own Italian recipes, here is my minestrone soup.  Buon apetito!

Minestrone Soup                                              

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 zucchini, peeled and cubed

6 cups beef stock (preferably made from a good base)

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1 can (15.5 oz.) light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz.) dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
olive oil

2 cups ditalini (or your favorite soup pasta)

Parmesan cheese

Make the stock according to package directions. Add can of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add salt and a generous amount of pepper. If you wish to add some bay leaves or other dried Italian seasonings like parsley, basil, and oregano, about one tablespoon each will do. Put each tablespoon in your hands and rub back and forth for a few seconds to refresh the dried herb, then add to the stock.

Brown ground beef in sauté pan on medium about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain and add to stockpot. In the same sauté pan on medium heat, add about 3-4 tablespoons olive oil. Add diced onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables to stockpot. Drain and rinse both cans of kidney beans,  and add those to the stockpot. Taste and correct for seasonings, as needed. Keep soup at a light simmer.

A slightly different version of the above recipe.
I used shank beef instead of ground beef,
cranberry beans instead of kidney,
and added some escarole
right at the end.

While the soup is cooking, bring another pot of water to boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt. When it has come to a boil, add ditalini (or other soup pasta) and cook according to package directions. Drain, and put back in that pot off the heat. Keep covered.

Ladle soup into bowls and add a scoop of ditalini. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve with a nice crusty loaf of Italian bread.

  

Serves 6.