Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 4 ounces pancetta, ¼ in diced, or good bacon cut in pieces
1 ½ c chopped yellow onion (1 good sized onion)
2 cups (½ inch diced) carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (½ inch diced) celery (3 stalks)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 ½ c chopped fresh green beans (can substitute frozen peas if you prefer)
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
26 oz can tomatoes, chopped or pureed (San Marzano are the best)
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (15 oz ) can cannellini beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as ditalini or cappatavi
8-10 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, or package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
½ c good dry white wine
2 T store-bought pesto
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (for serving)
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Directions: |
Directions:If using pancetta, heat 2 T of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. If using bacon, no need for the extra oil. Cook bacon or pancetta over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another 4-6 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the ground turkey and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir until turkey is browned. Add the green beans or peas.
Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of broth, the bay leaf, 1 T salt and 1½ teaspoons ground pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. If you have the end rind from some parmesan, throw it in the soup now, just as it. You'll remove it before serving. If you haven't already cooked the pasta, do so according to package directions, with plenty of salt in the water. Drain when finished.
Discard the bay leaf. Add the cannellini or kidney beans and heat through. The soup should be quite thick, but if it's TOO thick, add more chicken broth. Add the spinach and cook just until the leaves are wilted. Add the white wine and pesto. Taste and add more salt if needed.
To serve, put some pasta in the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Store the pasta separately from the leftover soup. This keeps it from getting mushy when you eat the leftovers. This is good with some garlic toasts or toasts with a little parmesan. |
This recipe for Minestrone Soup is from