Minestrone Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 cups carrots, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1.5 quarts chicken stock
- 1 quart beef stock
- 3/4 pound fresh kale, finely chopped
- 2 18 oz cans crushed tomatoes preferably San Marzano variety
- 2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups zucchini, diced
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In a very large stock pot on medium heat, add olive oil.
- Add ground Italian Sausage, break up into small pieces with wooden spoon and cook until no pink remains.
- Remove sausage from stock pot with slotted spoon. Leave sausage fat in pot.
- Add onions and carrots to stockpot and saute over medium heat until onion is translucent (8-10 minutes)
- Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, pesto and oregano to pot. Stir to release flavors of the spices and herbs.
- Add chicken stock, beef stock, kale, crushed tomatoes, garbanzo, cannellini and kidney beans. Stir gently to combine.
- Bring up to a boil. Then turn down immediately to a low simmer.
- You can carefully transfer the soup to a slow cooker with lid and leave it on low/warm up to 4 or 5 hours. Or you can leave it in the stockpot on top of the stove and simmer with lid off or ajar for 2 hours.
- Remove lid after 2 hours, taste to see if it needs additional seasonings. If so adjust to your liking.
- Add chopped zucchini and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Simmer another 30 minutes.
- Top finished bowls of soup with additional freshly grated parmesan, a drizzle of EVOO and a big slice of crusty bread.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!