Chef John's Minestrone Soup

A great Italian soup that incorporates a wide variety of vegetables and is topped with flavorful Parmesan cheese.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 484 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
• 3 ounces chopped pancetta
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed fine
• 1 cup cranberry beans, shelled
• 2 cups chopped cabbage, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 0.25 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 0.66666668653488 cup ditalini pasta
• 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 2

Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.

Step 3

Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 5

Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.