Minestrone Milanese with rice or pasta.

5 from 6 votes

Minestrone Milanese with rice or pasta.

This hearty minestrone Milanese is a super nutritious Italian vegetable soup from Lombardy. It is thicker than most minestrone soups and full of healthy seasonal vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs. Add rice or pasta and serve it the Italian way with grated parmigiano and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Main Course, Soup, starter

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean, Northern Italy

Keyword: Italian soup, Minestrone, pasta soup, vegetable soup

Servings:

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Jacqui

Equipment

1 Dutch oven or large soup pot
1 food processor

Ingredients

2-3 carrots washed and chopped
2 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
½ onion peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
½ small cabbage or savoy cabbage sliced
1 large tomato peeled and cut into piece (or small tomatoes or 2 tablespoons passata)
2 zucchini washed and cut into small pieces.
3.5 ounces peas fresh or frozen
2-3 sage leaves
1 handful fresh parsley washed and chopped
4-6 fresh basil leaves
1-2 green celery stalks with leaves washed and cut into small pieces
3.5 ounces guanciale cut into small pieces (or pancetta or lardo)
7 ounces dried borlotti or cannellini beans soaked overnight or fresh beans. Canned beans should be drained and added later.
salt to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
3.5 ounces risotto rice or orzo (risoni) pasta

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

First, if using a large fresh tomato, peel it after immersing it in boiling water, remove the seeds and cut into pieces. Wash the zucchini and carrots and cut them into small pieces or cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes too. Wash and slice the cabbage.
Cut the guanciale (or lardo) into small pieces along with the celery. Peel and chop the onion and garlic finely. Wash and cut the celery and some of its leaves into small pieces.
Put the lardo or guanciale into a food processor, add the onion and the garlic, plus a sprig of parsley and a stick of chopped celery. Blend until you have something close to a paste (see photo in main content). This is called a 'battuto'.

Cook the minestrone Milanese

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep soup pan or Dutch oven. Add the lardo ‘battuto’ and sauté until the pork fat starts to render (melt).
Next add all the vegetables (except the peas and cabbage) and the uncooked beans. Cover with plenty of water (about 2 liters or 4.25 pints) and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste, lower the heat and let the minestrone cook slowly for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the peas and the cabbage cut into strips, plus drained canned beans if using. Let the cooking continue for about 10-15 minutes and then add the rice or pasta.
Let the rice or pasta cook for the time indicated on the package (more or less 20 minutes for rice and 10 minutes for the pasta).
Finally add the fresh basil and remaining fresh parsley. Mix together and serve whilst hot or even at room temperature.

Notes

A good Milanese minestrone must be very dense and not too liquid.

Serve the Italian way with grated Parmigiano and a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

This recipe is gluten free if you use rice not pasta.

To make this recipe vegetarian leave out the pork and use vegetarian parmesan instead of Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. The latter is made with animal rennet.

Nutrition