Jamie's Minestrone
I created this soup after becoming tired of the excess salt and lack of veggies in canned minestrone. I recalled a great bowl of minestrone that was overflowing with rich vegetables at the Sheepherders Inn in Sacramento, California. Great with a hearty bread, romaine salad and a nice Merlot!
I created this soup after becoming tired of the excess salt and lack of veggies in canned minestrone. I recalled a great bowl of minestrone that was overflowing with rich vegetables at the Sheepherders Inn in Sacramento, California. Great with a hearty bread, romaine salad and a nice Merlot!
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 5 carrots sliced
- 4 cups tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
- 1 cup canned kidney beans drained
- 15 ounces can green beans
- 2 cups baby spinach rinsed
- 3 zucchinis quartered and sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 cup seashell pasta
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese for topping
- Carbohydrate 34.8978697866236 g
- Cholesterol 153.333333333333 mg
- Fat 33.0570535718938 g
- Fiber 9.87497024675005 g
- Protein 46.4193129457115 g
- Saturated Fat 9.13833802280089 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (897g)
- Sodium 3259.0656590907 mg
- Sugar 25.0228995398736 g
- Trans Fat 2.98727126398146 g
- Calories 606 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.
- Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Spray with olive oil and serve.
Controlling the Sauté Timing
Starting the aromatics requires precise heat management to extract maximum flavor without scorching the alliums. Garlic burns rapidly at high temperatures, turning bitter within seconds, which is why medium-low heat is mandatory for those initial two to three minutes. Onions need a separate four-to-five-minute window to release moisture and soften before denser root vegetables enter the pot. Carrots and celery demand only one to two minutes of preliminary heat because prolonged cooking upfront destroys their cellular integrity before the liquid ever hits the pot.
Scaling the Batch Up or Down
Multiplying or dividing this formula successfully relies on maintaining the correct ratio of stock to dense solids. Water and chicken broth quantities must scale linearly with the tomato sauce to ensure proper suspension, but aromatic vegetables like onions and garlic can scale at a slightly reduced rate to prevent overpowering the broth. Large stock pots require additional heating time to reach a rolling boil once volume increases, so adjust your initial stovetop settings accordingly. Dividing the recipe down requires watching the simmer closely, as smaller liquid volumes evaporate much faster during the thirty-to-forty-minute simmer window.
Preserving Textural Integrity
Mashing or dissolving vegetables is the primary pitfall in long-simmered soups, managed here by adding tender greens like baby spinach alongside sturdy legumes at the exact same stage. Keeping the seashell pasta separate until final plating prevents the starch from leaching into the entire pot and turning the broth murky. Cooking the pasta in a dedicated medium saucepan guarantees al dente results, whereas boiling pasta directly inside a large acidic tomato broth alters its structural starch permanently. Ladling hot soup over portioned pasta right before serving maintains distinct bites where every component retains its individual character.
