Classic Italian Minestrone Soup Recipes. Italian soups Easy Italian vegetable soup

Did you hear the phrase as a child: “If you don’t eat soup, there won’t be any sweets”? And, indeed, only with age comes an understanding of how important first courses are in the diet of each person. Imagine that in some regions of Italy, for example, in (Veneto), more soups are eaten than. There are a number of different, original recipes. Although the Italian interpretation of liquid food is somewhat different from what we are used to, it is definitely worth a try. Our article will tell you the right stop in a rather long list of soups. For your convenience, we have listed them in alphabetical order.

Acquacotta is a traditional soup from the Maremma region. Initially, it was considered peasant food. His recipe was invented to use stale bread.

The first versions of the dish consisted of water, stale bread, onions, tomatoes and olive oil. Modern versions contain many more components. So, the most common recipe in (Toscana), in addition to historical ingredients, involves the use of celery, carrots, basil, grated cheese and eggs. Acquacotta con funghi is complemented with porcini mushrooms, wild mint and garlic. Acquacotta con peperoni is distinguished by the presence of red pepper.

Banyun

Banyun (Bagnun) is a soup that was born in the province (Genova) as food for fishermen. Its name literally translates as "bathroom". The recipe for the dish has not changed much since the 19th century. Key Ingredients: Fresh anchovies, fried onions, peeled tomatoes, olive oil, and biscuits (or toasted bread).

Buridda is a seafood soup typical of Ligurian cuisine. Locals call buridda not only the first course, but also stew with fish.

The basis of the soup is the meat of different types of fish (cod, sea eel, shark). It is cut into small pieces and boiled in a small amount of liquid with olive oil, pine nuts, mushrooms, capers and parsley. Recently, cooks use the meat of cuttlefish, octopus, mullet, monkfish. The recipe is also complemented with onions, tomatoes, white wine, green peas and potatoes. Buridda with dried fish is called buridda di stoccafisso.

Gallura

Soup Gallura (Zuppa gallurese) is a traditional soup of the northern part (Sardegna). Its second name is suppa cu. To prepare gallura, stale bread is soaked in meat broth and laid out in layers in a mold. At the same time, alternate it and complete the styling with pecorino cheese. Flavor the dish with parsley, mint, nutmeg or cinnamon. Oddly enough, but the soup is baked in the oven for about an hour until a crispy cheese crust appears.

Invented as food for the poor, today gallura is a frequent guest at wedding and holiday tables.

Soup is traditionally prepared in earthenware bowls, mostly in the spring when the harvest is due, as most of the ingredients are of vegetable origin.

Ginestrata is a slightly spicy egg soup originating in northern Tuscany. For the domestic consumer, the recipe for this first course will be a great surprise. Its main ingredients are egg yolks, chicken broth, marsala wine or white wine, butter, nutmeg and sugar. Sometimes ginestrata is supplemented with cinnamon. The subtlety of its preparation lies in the fact that the heating process is completed as soon as the mass becomes thick. Some cooks sprinkle the dish with sugar and nutmeg just before serving.

Zuppa imperiale or Imperial soup (Zuppa imperiale) is the first dish typical of the region (Emilia-Romagna). Its main ingredient is pasta cubes consisting of semolina, parmesan, eggs and butter. They are pre-baked in the oven, and then dipped in boiling broth for a few minutes. Some cooks add mortadella and bread crumbs to the soup. Serve Zuppa imperiale hot, sprinkled with nutmeg.

Cacciucco is a soup of fish meat, shellfish and crustaceans traditional for the city of Livorno. It is complemented with tomatoes and croutons. traditional recipe provides for as many as 13 species of marine life: sepia, octopus, shark, conger eel, moray eel, gurnard, sea bass, sultan, goby, bavosa, stone perch, lobster and horse mackerel. Currently, chefs are limited to 6 or 7 options. Sometimes red wine is added to cacucco (contrary to the culinary tradition to combine fish only with white drinks).

In Livorno they are very proud of their first course, and every year in April the Cachukco festival is held.

Maccu is a Sicilian soup, the main ingredients of which are chopped beans, seeds with sprigs of dill, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sometimes in addition it includes tomatoes, onions and pasta. Some varieties of soup do not contain whole beans, but bean puree. Today makku is rarely found in kitchens (Sicilia), but it is still served in restaurants.

Minestra di noci (Minestra di noci) is a nutty soup typical of the cuisine (Piedonte). It is prepared more often on the basis of meat broth. In the soup put not only whole or chopped walnuts but also nut puree. Of the additional ingredients, butter, pumpkin, lemon juice, salt, pepper and spices.

Minestra di nights is a very high-calorie and hearty dish, so it is prepared more often during the winter months.

Minestra di ceci is a soup made with chickpeas as the main ingredient. The base of the dish is olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Additionally, cod, artichokes, tomatoes, chestnuts, potatoes, pasta, cabbage can be added to it. In Italy, it is called "winter soup" because its warm and delicate taste is ideal for cold evenings.

(Minestrone) - a thick soup with vegetables with the addition of pasta or rice. There is no standard set of ingredients for minestrone, as in Italy it is prepared with seasonal vegetables. It can be vegetarian and also include meat or meat broth. Although some chefs claim that authentic Minestrone is cooked only with bean broth.

The soup recipe varies by region. But some ingredients are present in it almost unchanged. These include: beans, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and stock.

panada

Panada is a bread soup from northeastern Italy and Sardinia. It is bread boiled to a state of porridge in water or broth. It is complemented with eggs and grated cheese. In the republic, panada is common in poor areas of the countryside. It is often prepared for the elderly and sick people.

Pappa al pomodoro is the first dish that was born as the food of the Tuscan poor. The name literally translates as "tomato pulp". Its main ingredients are stale bread, tomatoes, cloves, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. The soup can be served hot or chilled.

Passatelli is one of the classic soups of the Emilia-Romagna region. To prepare it, a mixture of bread, parmesan, eggs and seasonings is passed through a press, getting a kind of "spaghetti". They are then boiled in chicken or fish broth. In some parts of Italy, lemon and nutmeg are added to it.

Pasta e fagioli is a soup whose name literally translates as "pasta and beans", which speaks for itself. Like many favorite Italian dishes, it appeared in a peasant environment. Today it can be found in the most expensive restaurants.

The recipe for pasta e fagioli varies from region to region, but the main ingredients are the same: pasta and beans. To taste, it is supplemented with olive oil, garlic, onions, celery, carrots, stewed tomatoes or tomato paste. The non-vegetarian version contains meat (more often pancetta).

Ribollita is a rich Tuscan stew made from bread and vegetables. Like many vegetable soups, ribollita becomes more delicious after each reheating. It was first invented by the peasants, heating together the remains of minestrone and vegetable soup. Hence the name of the dish, which literally translates as "reboiling". It is based on breadcrumbs, beans, cabbage and inexpensive vegetables such as carrots, celery, potatoes and onions.

In Italy, ribollita is considered a winter soup. Traditionally, it is cooked in a wood-fired oven in earthenware.

Stracciatella is a meat broth-based soup popular in the region (Lazio). In Italy, it is better known as Starachtella alla Romana (Stracciatella alla romana). To prepare it, beaten eggs are mixed with grated parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, lemon zest and sometimes semolina. The resulting mass is gradually added to the boiling meat broth. After mixing in the soup, small plates of the cheese-egg mixture are formed. Hence the name of the soup, which literally translates as "shreds".

Before serving, stracciatella is garnished with toasted bread and grated parmesan. Some chefs flavor the dish with marjoram.

Sciusceddu is a traditional Easter soup in Italy. It is based on meatballs and eggs. Secondary ingredients include broth, cheeses or parsley, salt and pepper. Shusheddu is quite dense and high-calorie, so it is often consumed separately, as a quick lunch option.

Undoubtedly, this is far from full list Italian soup options Because even in small towns there are secrets of cooking first courses. And although they are far from those soups that we are used to seeing at dinner, their taste is another attraction of Italy.

Authentic Italian minestrone is a thick rustic soup made from seasonal vegetables with the addition of pasta, parmesan and basil crumbled into it when served. Sometimes pieces of ham are added to the minestrone - prosciutto. Or use rice instead of pasta, and pesto instead of parmesan.

From region to region of Italy, the set of vegetables in the minestrone recipe can change: be richer - with the inclusion of asparagus or dry beans, fennel, celery and a long list of Mediterranean diet vegetables, or light. And a set of herbs, of course. But that's not the point. The essence of minestrone is in the technology of cooking vegetables - their unhurried frying, followed by partial pureing. This makes the soup very thick and flavorful.

Minestrone is one of those recipes where understanding the nuances is important, and the result is such that it is better to cook and try once than tell ten times.

Preparation time: 25 minutes/ Cooking time: 1 hour/ Servings: 6 pcs.

Ingredients

To make Minestrone, you will need:

• zucchini zucchini 300g
• onion 100g
• potatoes 150g
• carrot 70g
• tomatoes 200g
• Bulgarian pepper 150g
• small pasta 50g
• garlic 1 clove
• hard cheese 20g
• olive oil 7 tbsp
• water 1250 ml
• salt 2 tsp

Cooking

It is customary to make vegetable cuts for minestrone miniature, all pieces are approximately the same size - a little more than a pea, and this is not a whim, but a technology: finely chopped vegetables absorb olive oil well when frying and do not lose their shape when cooked. In addition, due to the size, they cook quickly. Thoroughly fried, with a preserved crust, pieces of vegetables that have not lost their juiciness when stewing are the goal of the first stage of preparing minestrone.


Cut the onion and carrot into small cubes. In order to somehow designate the bell pepper in the soup (let's make an exception for the pepper), we cut it not into cubes, but into thin strips. The soup will become much more elegant if you use bell peppers of different colors.



Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into small pieces. If your zucchini is mature enough and the skin has already turned stale, it is best to peel it off so that there are no coarse fibers in the soup.
Ripe tomatoes are peeled and cut into small slices, during frying they will release the juice and lose their shape, so the size of the slices is not so important.
Potatoes need to be washed, peeled and cut into small even cubes. While we are roasting vegetables, I advise you to soak the potatoes in cold water.



When heating 5 tablespoons of oil in a deep-bottomed pan, make sure that the oil does not get too hot, especially if you are using refined olive oil. Vegetables for minestrone should be sautéed over low heat, simmer, so once the oil is hot, put in the chopped carrots and onions and fry, stirring for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent.

Add bell pepper and garlic, cut into thin slices, into the pan and continue to fry, stirring for about 5 minutes. The combination of onions, garlic, peppers and carrots with olive oil fills the kitchen with the unique flavor of the vegetable season.

Add chopped zucchini to the vegetables in the pan, pour in another 2 tbsp. olive oil and continue to fry over low heat for 15 minutes.
We spread the chopped tomatoes in the pan and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes, during which time all the slices of zucchini will already become transparent.



Put the fried vegetables in a bowl. Some cooks prepare minestrone in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, in which they fry vegetables, and then pour water over them and continue to boil the soup.



Pour vegetables with 1250 ml of cold water, so that they do not lose their bright colors, and bring to a boil. We will also cook the soup on a slow fire.



When the soup boils, add salt and run the prepared potatoes. Despite the fact that the potatoes are finely chopped, it is better to cook them for 15-20 minutes, for a richer soup.



Remember, I wrote that minestrone is a soup that consists of half blended vegetables? Right now it's time to knead most of them and keep the smaller part unchanged so that the soup remains textured, not pureed. We take out a small part of boiled vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside for a while.

Blend the remaining vegetables in the broth with an immersion blender until smooth. Just don't try to turn them into semolina! Let the pieces not crushed to the end remain, nothing terrible will happen. The main thing in this action is the effect: interpenetration, mixing of tastes.

Bring the soup to a boil and start the small pasta. For soups, Italians use miniature pasta - horns, stars, shells. I broke the rule a little and sent not very small heart-shaped pasta to the soup. But it's beautiful! Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes, and that's it. Having insisted, they will certainly reach full readiness.



How is minestrone served? Cheese, basil, pesto - all this is served on a plate. Or put on the table, where everyone is free or not free to supplement the minestrone with flavors himself.

Italian vegetable soup is a popular lunch option for Italian families. It always contains a lot of ingredients, which makes the taste of the dish unique. The best Minestrone recipes are collected in this collection.

Ingredients: 320 g of zucchini, 120 g of potatoes, bell peppers and onions, 200 g of tomatoes, 80 g of carrots, 60 g of tomato paste, a clove of garlic, 30 g of hard cheese, 7 large spoons of olive oil, 1.3 l of peeled water, salt.

1. In a frying pan with heated olive oil, all the declared vegetables are laid out in turn for frying. First, it is arbitrarily chopped carrots and onions. Then - Bulgarian pepper and garlic. For Minestrone, finely chopped vegetables are considered more suitable. The last pieces of tomatoes without skins and zucchini are laid in the pan.
2. When all the listed ingredients are fried, you can transfer them to a saucepan and pour salty cold water.
3. After boiling the liquid, potato bars are sent into it. Cooking lasts 17 - 20 minutes.
4. Part of the prepared vegetables is removed with a slotted spoon. The rest are pureed with an immersion blender. Whole ingredients are returned to the pot.

According to the classic Minestrone recipe, the dish is served with tomato pasta and finely grated cheese.

In a slow cooker

Ingredients: 230 g beef, 3 medium potatoes, celery stalk, carrots and onions, 2 pcs. turnips, 160 g cabbage, a small zucchini, half a bunch of fresh herbs, a mix of peppers, 5-6 fresh champignons, salt.

1. In the middle of the bulb, an incision is made crosswise, after which it is laid out in the bowl of the electric pan.
2. Turnips are peeled and cut into strips, carrots - into quarters, potatoes and zucchini - into cubes, mushrooms - into slices. The cabbage is finely chopped, and the celery stalk is simply chopped into several pieces.
3. Then all the vegetables are simply moved to the slow cooker, and the whole piece of meat is placed on top.
4. Products are filled with water.
5. Minestrone soup will be cooked in the appropriate mode for 60 - 70 minutes.

Meat is removed from the finished dish, cut into pieces and returned back. Salt, peppers, chopped herbs are added to the soup. The treat is left for another 5 minutes on heating.

Genoese

Ingredients: 2 l vegetable broth, 90 g pasta (macaroni), 1 pc. onions, carrots, celery (stalk), potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini, 90 g of green peas and green beans, 60 g of Brussels sprouts, a clove of garlic, 3 tbsp. l. olive oil, 60 g Parmesan, salt.

1. Finely chopped garlic, onion, carrot and celery stalk are fried in olive oil.
2. Vegetables are transferred to a saucepan and poured with salted broth. To them are added pieces of potatoes. The mass is cooked for 15 - 17 minutes from the moment of boiling.
3. The remaining chopped vegetables, peas, beans and pasta are added. Cooking continues until all components are ready.

If necessary, the soup is salted, sprinkled with grated Parmesan and served at the table.

Minestrone with chorizo

Ingredients: 40 g pasta, 60 g chorizo ​​(sausage), 50 g each of sweet pepper, celery root, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, carrots, leeks and white beans, 6 pcs. cherry tomatoes, 1 l chicken broth, Pesto sauce, salt, a few leaves of dark basil.

1. White beans are soaked in cold water in the evening.
2. All declared vegetables are peeled, washed, medium-sized cut. Celery root is simply divided into several parts.
3. In a frying pan, the prepared ingredients are first fried until lightly browned, and then poured with a small amount of broth and stewed for 20-25 minutes.
4. The sausage is cut as thin as possible and laid out with vegetables.
5. In the broth, brought to a boil, the contents of the pan and cherry without skin are moved. Green beans boiled separately for 3-4 minutes are also added there. The soup is boiled for about half an hour, salted to taste.

Served hot with pesto sauce and fresh basil leaves.

Variant with kale and white beans

Ingredients: 2 cans of canned white beans, olive oil, medium onion, 2 garlic cloves, salt, 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste, 420 g kale, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, the same amount of red pepper flakes, a pound of chopped tomatoes.

1. Olive oil is heated in a large thick saucepan. First, onions and garlic are fried on it. Salt and seasonings are immediately added to vegetables.
2. Tomato paste is added to the already soft onion, and frying continues for another half a minute.
3. Next, shredded cabbage moves into the pan.
4. After 4 - 6 minutes of cooking, beans without liquid are added, chopped tomatoes and 4 glasses of water.
5. The soup is brought to a boil, salted, the fire is reduced under it and the dish is cooked for 12-14 minutes.

Ready-made Minestrone with beans is served for dinner with grated Parmesan.

Unusual Minestrone soup with pasta

Ingredients: 2 pcs. zucchini, squash (2 pcs.), 230 g porcini mushrooms, olive oil, 2 carrots, onion, 3 stalks of celery, 8 cups of chicken broth, 2 cans of white beans (canned), a cup of any pasta, a cup of green beans, a jar tomatoes in their own juice, salt, 1/3 small. spoons of turmeric, Parmesan.

1. Zucchini, squash and onion are cut into cubes. Mushrooms - into 4 parts. Carrots and celery - optional. Mushrooms, zucchini and squash are sprinkled with salt, poured with olive oil, distributed on a baking sheet and baked for 8 - 9 minutes.
2. Chopped onions, celery and carrots are fried in heated olive oil in a saucepan for 3-4 minutes. The broth is poured into the ingredients, brought to a boil.
3. After 10 minutes, two types of beans are laid (canned beans are pre-washed). Pasta is added.
4. After another 6 minutes, canned tomatoes are poured out along with liquid, salt and turmeric.
5. Products are poured with broth, baked components are transferred to them. If necessary, the amount of liquid can be increased. After another 7 - 8 minutes, the soup will be completely ready.

Served with thin slices of Parmesan and homemade bread.

Soup from frozen vegetables

Ingredients: 340 g of Mexican frozen vegetable mix (with carrots, corn, peas, green beans and bell peppers), onion, 90 g of small pasta, spices, table salt.

1. In a saucepan, on any heated fat (it is best to use high-quality olive oil), the vegetable mixture is fried. It does not need to be defrosted first.
2. The onion is cut into small cubes. You can also use fresh garlic if you like.
3. When the vegetable mixture in the saucepan softens, pieces of onion and garlic are laid out to it. The ingredients are simmered together until softened. From time to time the mass is mixed with a wide spoon.
4. After 15 minutes, you can pour the right amount of water to the vegetables. The mass is salted and cooked on a minimum heat for 12 - 14 minutes.
5. Half of the cooked vegetables are removed from the saucepan. The rest of the mixture is pureed. Whole vegetables are returned to the soup and pasta is added.

After another 5 minutes, the Italian vegetable soup is removed from the stove and left to infuse. It is served for dinner with fresh herbs.

Green soup a la Minestrone

Ingredients: onion, carrot, half zucchini, 3 tbsp. l. chopped green beans, 180 g spinach, canned white beans, 650 ml chicken broth, olive oil, dry garlic, salt.

1. The oil is heated in a frying pan, grated carrots and small onion cubes are fried on it. Green beans are added. On low heat, the ingredients are fried for 3-4 minutes.
2. Squash cubes are poured into the pan. Cooking with frequent stirring continues until it softens.
3. The contents of the container are laid out in a boiling salty broth. Spinach and washed canned beans are also sent there.
4. The soup should boil for a couple of minutes.

A ready-made treat is served with finely grated cheese.

With smoked meats

Ingredients: 2 liters of vegetable broth, 130 g each of white, red and green beans, 2 tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, onion, 320 g smoked brisket, 80 g small pasta, a bunch of fresh basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, dry fragrant herbs.

1. Beans are soaked in cold water for several hours, after which they are boiled until softened.
2. Tomatoes are scalded with boiling water, the skin is removed from them. Vegetables are cut into small pieces.
3. String beans get rid of the tails and cut into small pieces.
4. The onion is washed and cut into cubes. Brisket - medium slices.
5. The meat is fried in a pan with onions until golden brown.
6. Three types of beans are sent to the pan, as well as tomatoes. The broth is poured on top so that it completely covers the ingredients.
7. Together, the products are stewed for 20 - 25 minutes.
8. The contents of the pan are poured into the pot. Pasta, aromatic herbs, black pepper, chopped basil, salt and crushed garlic also move there. If necessary, add a little more broth or water.

The soup is cooked until the pasta is cooked and served at the table.

The best ingredients for this dish are basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme.

For richness, you can add both small pasta and rice to the dish. Fried ham and / or meat, as well as grated cheese will make it even thicker and more appetizing.

Vegetables for Minestrone should simmer very slowly in a pan until soft, so that their taste is revealed to the maximum. To do this, they are fried in olive oil over the slowest fire.

20 best recipes soups

1 hour 15 minutes

50 kcal

5/5 (1)

If you want to cook a light and tasty vegetable soup, then Minestrone is what you need! It is not for nothing that this dish is called “big soup” in translation, because after a while all the colors of the harvest season and a diverse palette of tastes are already on your plate. Hurry up to surprise your household with a popular Italian soup!

Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe

Kitchen appliances: kitchen stove.

Ingredients

How to choose the right ingredients

Step by step cooking

Did you know? If you pour prepared vegetables with cold water, and then boil everything, then the integrity of the vegetable pieces will be better preserved.

Add canned beans and pasta, cook for about 10 minutes.


Pour the cheese into the soup pot and turn it off. Serve by sprinkling the soup in a bowl with finely chopped herbs.

Video cooking recipe

The soup turns out to be quite useful due to its rich ingredient composition, and it is not for nothing that it is considered seasonal, since the best option for its preparation is fresh vegetables in the season of their ripening, and not processed store ones that can be found on the shelves at any time of the year.

I suggest you watch a short video of cooking Minestrone soup, accompanied by pleasant music:

How to cook in a slow cooker

• Vegetables must be stewed over low heat.
• The soup should contain at least some representatives of legumes (beans, peas or others)
• Do not overdo it with the addition of liquid! This soup should be quite thick, and remember that some vegetables, especially tomatoes, release enough juice.

Other possible cooking and filling options

For this type of vegetable soup, the more vegetables, the better. This soup is also boiled in broth, and it can be supplemented with asparagus, celery, potatoes, zucchini and onions. It turns out thick in consistency, which even resembles a stew.

Conclusion

If you are seriously interested in foreign cuisine and want to bring a little novelty to your family's lunch menu, be sure to take an interest in Japanese recipes, as well as a representative of the national cuisine of Laos and Thailand -.

Until recently, I cooked only borscht with sorrel, but now I know the recipe, which was appreciated by relatives. And also we are madly in love with my mother-in-law's "signature"!

cooking secrets

Minestrone: preparing an Italian riddle according to the rules

Italians are very fond of thick and rich minestrone soup, which is the most popular dish in Italy - like our borscht. Interestingly, minestrone means “big soup” or “soup” in Italian, because it contains a huge amount of a wide variety of ingredients. According to tradition, it is boiled in a large pot, and then the whole family is invited to the table. Children, parents, grandparents are noisily and cheerfully tasting tasty dish, rejoice in life and enjoy communication. It is probably no coincidence that minestrone is called the soup of centenarians, because a good mood at the table contributes to longevity.

Minestrone is brewed with seasonal vegetables that can be found on the market at that time of the year, so its composition may vary. It turns out that there are no strict recipes for making minestrone, and each housewife can cook it in her own way. It is for this versatility that the Italians appreciate their "deep soup", which perfectly satisfies hunger and satisfies the refined tastes of gourmets.

How to cook minestrone: choose vegetables

The most suitable period for preparing this dish is the second half of summer and autumn, when the markets and shops are full of vegetables, since vegetables are the main component of minestrone. But this does not mean that you need to give up this dish in winter and spring. No Italian would ever make such a sacrifice! Since minestrone is a versatile dish, you can use any vegetable, although this does not mean that they can be mixed mindlessly. If you follow some rules adopted in Italian cuisine, the taste of the dish will only benefit from this.

Zucchini, eggplant, sweet peppers are suitable for summer and autumn. green pea, tomatoes, fresh and green beans. Winter and spring soup is cooked with beet chard, dry beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Savoy cabbage. Italians add onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the dish all year round. However, taking into account Russian conditions, we can make some changes to the classic minestrone recipe by adding potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, corn, asparagus, fennel, spinach, lentils and other seasonal vegetables growing in our area to the soup. Regular beets, frozen and canned vegetables can be added to winter soup options, although Italian gourmets oppose frozen vegetables. As they say, tastes differ!

A few more interesting points. It is rare that Italian chefs use Brussels sprouts and arugula for minestrone - it is believed that they interrupt the taste and aroma of other vegetables and the soup smells only of Brussels sprouts or arugula. However, if you really love these vegetables - why not add them to the minestrone? Chicory, artichokes and radicchio add a bitter taste to the dish, so they are usually not used.

How to cook minestrone: broth, spices and additives

This light soup is boiled in vegetable, meat or chicken broth. Italians themselves love pancetta broth - Italian bacon or ham on the bone. Sometimes a little dry wine is added to the broth - for piquancy and sophistication of taste.

Spices and seasonings are an indispensable ingredient in minestrone, because without spices, the soup will lose its zest. Maybe it will turn out delicious, but it will not be a minestrone. Italians mostly use rosemary, garlic, parsley, basil, thyme, bay leaf, oregano and pesto. For richness, add to the soup different types legumes, curly pasta made from durum wheat in the form of butterflies, shells, bows, feathers or spirals, and arborio rice, which is commonly used for risotto. Fried meat and ham make the soup more hearty and appetizing, while grated cheese gives it tenderness and a thick texture.

Interestingly, the light version of the soup has its own name - minestrina, as the Italians affectionately call it. This soup, cooked in water or vegetable broth, is wonderfully refreshing on a hot day, especially when served chilled. Meat minestrone is more suitable for cold weather, as it warms well and satisfies hunger for a long time.

Despite the fact that Italian chefs adhere to certain rules for preparing this dish, historically, minestrone was a peasant soup, so everything that was at home was added to it. He was somewhat reminiscent of our hodgepodge or okroshka.

There are several secrets of how to cook minestrone to make it tasty and appetizing.

Secret 1. Diced vegetables are dipped in boiling salted water and cooked until tender, while the pan should not be covered with a lid. Water should be 5 cm above the level of vegetables. The finished soup is poured into bowls, seasoned with olive oil, allspice and grated cheese. This dietary method of preparing minestrone is suitable for those who follow their figure.

Secret 2. Vegetables are boiled in the same way as in the first recipe, and then half of them are crushed in a blender, and this puree is added to the soup. At the same time, vegetables can be fried or not fried - it's all a matter of taste.

Secret 3. Minestrone soup with vegetables sautéed in olive oil - richer, brighter, more buttery and satisfying. However, vegetables should be fried very slowly, almost languishing - this is how it is recommended in classic recipe minestrone soup. However, given the modern rhythm of life, this is not always possible.

Secret 4. Grains, pasta and legumes are added to the pan during the cooking process. In this case, beans and dry peas must be boiled in advance.

Secret 5. Minestrone is called the soup of the second day, because it is on the next day that it becomes especially rich. The fact is that vegetables give their aroma to the broth, and it acquires an appetizing taste that cannot be compared with anything.

A few more Italian subtleties

In Italy, there are many different recipes for the classic minestrone - for example, in Milan it is prepared with bacon, sage and parmesan, in some Mediterranean areas - with pepper and eggplant, and there are rural areas in Italy where the main ingredient of the soup is turnip. In Tuscany, chefs always add white beans to the minestrone, in Sardinia - chickpeas, and in Liguria, pesto sauce is an obligatory addition. Italian minestrone is always very thick, so you can fill up even one bowl of soup.

Classic minestrone soup from Liguria

Try cooking the Ligurian way to see why the Italians are so fond of this dish. Finely chop 100 g of pancetta, which can be replaced with brisket or bacon, and fry in a saucepan with a little olive oil. Next, chop any seasonal vegetables, such as one carrot, celery root, one zucchini, onion and leek, 200 g green beans, and also chop the beet tops. Add the onion to the pancetta, when it becomes slightly golden, put the carrots and celery in the pan. After 10 minutes of stewing, enter all the other vegetables, fill with water so that it is 3 fingers higher, salt and cook for an hour. Pour fine curly pasta into the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente - when the pasta is ready, but not boiled soft, while maintaining elasticity and a slightly hard core. Some Italian housewives add 2-3 peeled potato tubers along with other vegetables, and then simply knead it with a spoon. By the way, bacon is optional for this recipe. When the minestrone is ready, add 4 tbsp. l. pesto sauce and cool before serving - it will be much tastier!

Minestrone Genoese

Another interesting Italian recipe that your family will love. This is how minestrone is brewed in Genoa, the capital of Liguria. Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan and fry a clove of garlic, a small diced carrot and an onion in a little olive oil, adding a little fresh rosemary for flavor.

Next, fill the vegetables with water (about 1.5–2 liters), add 100 g of pre-cooked green beans and diced vegetables - 3 medium-sized potatoes, 50 g pumpkin, 1 zucchini, 100 g Savoy cabbage, 1 fennel. Mix vegetables with 3-4 finely chopped celery stalks and 1 leek (white part), add pasta, salt, pepper and cook until tender.

Pour the finished soup into bowls, add 1 tbsp to each of them. l. fresh spinach and grated parmesan, drizzle with olive oil and enjoy the exquisite taste of minestrone!

Minestrone with chicken breast

Minestrone with chicken, although not an Italian classic, is very popular in modern European cuisine. This soup is very fond of children, so cook it for your little gourmets.

Boil chicken breast broth with bay leaf, onion, cloves and peppercorns. For one breast, take about 2 liters of water and let the broth boil for about 40 minutes, then strain it and cut the chicken into cubes.

Cut the vegetables into cubes or strips - 1 zucchini, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 celery roots, and disassemble half a head of cauliflower or broccoli into inflorescences. Sauté the onion in a pan for a few minutes with 2 tbsp. l. butter and olive oil, add celery and carrots to it and after 3 minutes - zucchini. When the vegetables are stewed for a few more minutes, put them in the broth along with chicken pieces and cook for a quarter of an hour.

Pour boiling water over 2 tomatoes, carefully peel them, chop finely and add to the soup along with cauliflower, send 100 g of fresh or frozen green peas and 150 g of fine pasta there. Boil the minestrone for another 7 minutes until the pasta is done, season the dish with dry herbs such as dill, parsley and basil, and let it brew.

Serve the aromatic minestrone with fresh herbs, grated Parmesan and fresh minced garlic.

Bolzan style tomato minestrone

This soup according to the recipe of the inhabitants of Bolzano is unusually hearty, appetizing and tasty. 100 g ground beef fry in 1 tbsp. l. olive oil with finely chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add diced carrots and half a celery root to the minced meat, fry a little more and add 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste, and then pour the meat with vegetables with 2 liters of meat broth, add 1 tbsp for sophistication. l. dry white wine and cook the minestrone for 15 minutes. Pour 200 g of any curly pasta into the pan and continue cooking until they are ready. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with a sprig of basil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Minestrone with Eat at Home products

On the site "Eat at Home!" you will find a recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya and many other interesting variations of this Italian soup. There are very unusual recipes with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, fish, seafood, bacon, barley, nuts and fruits. And the most delicious will be exactly the minestrone that you have prepared yourself for your beloved family. If you don't have fresh vegetables on hand, you can easily replace them with frozen vegetable mixes. Make minestrone more often, because this soup is eaten so quickly!