Minestrone Soup

Foundations Referenced

• → Vegetable Stock (or chicken stock)
• → Mirepoix
• → Sauce Tomat concept
• → Knife cuts — medium dice

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, medium dice
• 2 carrots, medium dice
• 2 celery stalks, medium dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (→ foundation)
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium zucchini, medium dice
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 cup small pasta (ditalini, elbow, or broken spaghetti)
• 2 cups kale or spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 Parmesan rind (save these in your freezer)
• 1 sachet (→ see spice-blends.md)
• Salt, pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan for serving

Method

1. Build the base: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery), cook 8 min until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 min. Add tomato paste, stir 2 min until it darkens slightly.

2. Add liquids: Add diced tomatoes, stock, Parmesan rind, and sachet. Bring to a simmer.

3. Layer the vegetables by cook time:

• Add beans (cannellini) and green beans first — they need the most time. Simmer 10 min.
• Add zucchini and pasta. Simmer 8–10 min until pasta is al dente.
• Add kale/spinach in the last 2 min (it wilts quickly).

4. Finish: Remove Parmesan rind and sachet. Season with salt and pepper. The soup should be thick and hearty — add more stock if you prefer it brothier.

5. Serve: Ladle into warm bowls. Drizzle with your best olive oil. Grate fresh Parmesan over the top.

What You're Learning

• Soup construction follows the same logic as sauce: aromatics → liquid → main ingredients → seasoning
• Layering vegetables by cook time ensures nothing is over- or under-cooked
• The Parmesan rind is a "free" umami bomb — it melts slightly and enriches the broth
• Tomato paste, briefly cooked, adds depth without making it a tomato soup
• This is a template: swap vegetables seasonally (butternut squash in fall, asparagus in spring)
• Consistent knife cuts (medium dice) ensure even cooking — a direct application of Ch.01 knife skills

Variations

• Summer: Replace kale with fresh basil, add corn and cherry tomatoes
• Winter: Add diced potato, swap green beans for root vegetables
• Ribollita (Tuscan bread soup): Add torn stale bread in the last 10 min, let it absorb the broth. Top with more olive oil.