Classic Italian Minestrone

The older I become, the less I use written recipes in my cooking.    

To my mother, I give credit.  To my nonna, I give credit.  Neither of them ever used written recipes to guide them in their kitchens.  They were fabulous cooks and just knew in their bones . . .  intuitively . . . how to prepare delicious foods from their simple taste sensibilities as well as their experience and knowledge from watching their own mothers and nonnas that preceded them.

It has taken me years to get to this point.  

I don’t want to ever be or sound arrogant or proud in my cucina, but I hope to somehow and in some way arrive to the point of my talented, yet humble Italian ancestors in their cooking abilities.  There’s no guarantee for me to know if I have ever reached that point other than to observe and experience the pleasure of my family and guests as they eat and feel satisfaction in their tummies after any of the meals that I have prepared for them.  

I have been making Italian minestrone soup for years.  I’ve even lost the original recipe that I created.  But I know the recipe . . . in my heart and long-term memory . . . just like my mother and my Nonna.

The truth is, every Italian minestrone soup recipe that you read will have a similar base of  fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and herbs that simmer in a delicious broth!

I used my Instant Pot for this batch of soup and am providing you ‘step-by-step’ photo instructions.

First, turn on the pot to ‘sauté’ and add about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and about ¼ cup of butter (we like a richer flavor and most Northern Italians cook with butter combined with olive oil).

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Pour the olive oil into the pot:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add the chopped onions and minced garlic:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add the carrots:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add the celery:

Add 4 – 8 oz. of chopped pancetta:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Gently stir all of these ingredients and sauté for about 3 – 5 minutes.  

Enjoy the wonderful aroma!  

Then turn the Instant Pot on “Keep Warm” and turn the heat setting to “Less”.

Add the chopped zucchini:

Add the green beans:

Add the potatoes:

Add the slivers of spinach:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add the cabbage:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add the tomatoes:

Add 1 bunch of Italian parsley, stems removed and chopped:

Add the cannellini, garbanzo, and kidney beans:

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

Add a large chunk of Parmigiano cheese, then fill up the Instant Pot with chicken or vegetable broth, about 2 inches below the top.

Add the sage this time too.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot, press the button ‘soup’, and let the pot do its thing for 30 minutes minimum, up to an hour.  Carefully open the lid so that the steam releases ‘away’ from your face so that you don’t get burned.  Add the pasta into the hot soup and allow it to cook with the lid off until the pasta is ‘al dente’. 

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

When serving, garnish with Italian parsley and pass freshly-grated Parmigiana cheese around for your guests to help themselves and top their bowls of this delicious soup.

Classic Italian Minestrone

Every now and then one of you will write to me and tell me about the results and experiences of one of my recipes in your lives and the tummies of others that you serve with love.

Recently, Pat wrote and said, “I just finished making this amazing soup in my instant pot, and it is fabulous!!” 

In January, Pat wrote again, “I have cooked this recipe for Classic Italian Minestrone Soup several times since I saw the recipe on www.italianbellavita.com.  This soup is amazing, and the fact that the recipe can be done in the Instant Pot makes it even more appealing.  This is my favorite Minestrone recipe; I can’t say enough good things about it!!  Thank you Roz Corieri Paige for your delicious recipe.  Looking forward to trying them all!

Chris wrote to me after preparing this Minestrone Soup for 80 people, yes you read that correctly, 80 people at her church dinner and get-together.  After family, my church friends would be my greatest honor to cook or bake for.  Chris wrote to me afterward and said,

“Hi Roz!
I need to make about 80 servings, so I’ll multiply by 8 or so to fill my bathtub.., I am half Italian myself, and love to cook… I have a recipe I have used for years, but yours sounded too good not to make! Thank you! I’ll let you know how it goes – it will be made on Wednesday for a Thursday Lenten supper.”

and after her church’s Lenten supper, Chris wrote back and said,

“Obviously, we had some soup left over, as we had prepared two soups (both 80 servings worth), but your minestrone was VERY well received, and I am still getting compliments on it. Thank you for your posts with those great recipes! This one has been ‘saved’, and I have your blog in my favorites.”

What an honor!  I am glad that you made so many parishioners happy in their tummies, Chris!

On Pinterest, Stephanie commented:   This soup turned out amazing!

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

.

.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
CLASSIC Italian Minestrone Soup INSTANT POT

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

  • Author: Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Additional Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

This is simply the most authentic, classic recipe for Italian Minestrone that you’ll find anywhere. It’s so easy to prepare and chock-full of delicious beans and a secret ingredient that takes this soup over the top!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup olive oil plus 1/2 stick (4 oz.) high-quality butter (which Northern Italians cook with alongside olive oil for a more rich, deeper flavor)
  • 45 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 onion (preferably sweet, such as Vidalia), diced
  • 48 oz. diced pancetta] (I use 8 oz.) {If vegetarian, do not include [pancetta}
  • 3 carrots, cleaned and diced/sliced pancetta
  • 2 stalks celery plus its flavor-filled leaves, cleaned and diced/sliced
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, cut up into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) imported Italian diced tomatoes (San Marzano
  • OR better yet, use the same amount of garden-fresh, home-grown tomatoes, if you have some on hand
  • 2 Idaho potatoes, cut into chunks about 1/4” thick
  • 1 zucchini, diced with skin left on
  • 11/2 cups fresh spinach or swiss chard, chopped
  • 1 cups fresh cabbage, chopped
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 46 cups water or homemade vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 ‘bunch’ of Italian parsley, stems removed and chopped (makes about 1 cup)
  • 1 big chunk of parmesan rind
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly-diced sage
  • freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup tubular (ditalini) pasta
  • Optional – 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  1. Follow the step-by-step photo instructions provided on the blog post while you read these directions.
  2. Turn on the Instant Pot to ‘sauté’.
  3. Pour the extra virgin olive oil and butter into the pot (we like a richer flavor and most Northern Italians cook with butter combined with olive oil).
  4. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic.
  5. Add the carrots.
  6. Add the celery.
  7. Add the chopped pancetta.
  8. Gently stir all of these ingredients and sauté for about 5 minutes.
  9. Enjoy the wonderful aroma!
  10. Then turn the Instant Pot on “Keep Warm” and turn heat setting to “Less”.
  11. Add the chopped zucchini.
  12. Add the green beans.
  13. Add the potatoes.
  14. Add the slivers of spinach.
  15. Add the cabbage.
  16. Add the tomatoes.
  17. Add the parsley.
  18. Add the cannellini, garbanzo and kidney beans.
  19. Add a large chunk of Parmigiano cheese, then fill up the Instant Pot with chicken or vegetable broth, about 2 inches below the top.
  20. Add the sage.
  21. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, press the button ‘soup’ and let the pot do it’s thing for 30 minutes.  
  22. Enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea . . . or a glass of wine while the soup cooks!
  23. Carefully open the lid so that the steam releases ‘away’ from your face so that you don’t get burned.
  24. Add the pasta into the hot soup and allow it to cook with the lid off until the pasta is ‘al dente’.
  25. When serving, garnish with Italian parsley and pass freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese around for your guests to help themselves and top their bowls of this delicious soup.

Notes

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with others on Pinterest and Instagram! Thank you for sharing the love! https://www.italianbellavita.com/2017/01/classic-italian-minestrone-soup/