Chef John's Minestrone Soup
Description
A great Italian soup that incorporates a wide variety of vegetables and is topped with flavorful Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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3 ounces chopped pancetta
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1 onion, diced
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1 cup diced celery
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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4 cups chicken broth
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2 cups water, plus more as needed
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1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed fine
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1 cup cranberry beans, shelled
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2 cups chopped cabbage, or more to taste
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1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
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1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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2 teaspoons salt
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1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
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2/3 cup ditalini pasta
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salt and ground black pepper
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
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1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Directions
1
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
2
Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
3
Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.
4
Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5
Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.