Minestrone has
to be my favorite soup ever, bar none. With its savory meatballs, plump noodles
and just about any vegetables and beans you care to put in, floating in a rich,
tomato-flavored broth, this soup is almost a meal in itself!
This recipe has
been in the works since 1998, when across-the-street neighbor Sarah B. and I
first wrote it down. Such terms as “2 handfulls green beans” have been refined,
and instead of soup bones, I now use seasoned meatballs based on the Meatball
Soup recipe from our Better Homes and Gardens Italian Cook Book (circa 1979).
It is still a work in progress, but everyone we’ve served it to has enjoyed
this hearty soup. The recipe makes roughly 6 quarts—enough to serve dinner
guests, or to freeze for later…if you can keep from eating it for lunch the
next day!
~Meatball Minestrone~
Soup Ingredients:
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth OR 1 (1 qt) box beef or
vegetable broth, plus equal amount of water
2 cups each chopped carrots, celery, green beans and
red-skinned potatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
A scant ¼ tsp each dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and
marjoram OR ½ tsp each of fresh herbs listed (minced) OR 1 tsp Italian
seasoning
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried parsley OR 1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 large or 2 small bay leaves (optional)*
Place in an 8-quart stockpot on low heat. Make meatballs as
follows:
Meatballs Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley OR 1 tsp dried parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Mix thoroughly in
an electric mixer and roll into 1” diameter balls. Drop into soup. Cover soup
and let slow-cook for 3-6 hours for best results.
One hour before
serving time, bring soup to a boil and add 8 oz dried pasta of choice
(small shells, macaroni, rotini or penne work best). Cook pasta until just al
dente (tender to bite), and the vegetables are soft. Then add:
1 cup frozen peas
1 (8.75 oz) can kidney beans
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce OR diced tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Turn the burner
to low heat and simmer a few minutes, to allow the flavors to blend. You may
need an additional can of chicken broth or extra water and a bullion cube to
correct the flavor and amount of broth. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Serve immediately and pass grated Parmesan
cheese at table, if desired.
* If your bay leaves are crushed, like mine are, you can put
a teaspoon or so in a tea-ball and hang it from the edge of the pot via the
little chain and hook attached. Be sure the broth covers the tea-ball at least
half-way, and remove the tea-ball before serving.
Variations:
~Try substituting steak for meatballs—chop the steak into
tiny pieces (about ½”) to ensure they pick up the flavor of the broth.
~Add other veggies and/or beans such as chopped cabbage,
spinach or leftover steamed kale* (added five minutes before serving) and garbanzo beans.
~Try it with chicken or turkey for something different.
There are endless variations of this satisfying soup!
* When adding kale to soup, it's best to use pre-cooked kale, as fresh tends to have too much flavor of its own.
Bon appetite, Gentle Readers!
God bless,
~“Tom”~
