Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ~3 cups small pasta, such as ditalini or small shells
- ~1.5 lbs ground Italian sausage, casings removed
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large shallots, finely chopped
- ~1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
- ~1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- ~2 cups chopped zucchini
- ~6 cups chopped green cabbage
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, like Chardonnay
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ~10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (15-oz) cans mixed beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried fennel
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Brown the Sausage and Build the Flavor Base
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it’s browned, ~3-5 minutes.
Add the shallots, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for ~3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute more.
Add the cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, fennel, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and let it sauté for another minute.
Simmer the Soup
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine simmer until it has reduced by about half, ~2 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for ~30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the rinsed beans and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
Cook the Pasta and Serve
While the soup simmers, cook the pasta in a separate pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain the pasta and toss it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
To serve, place a scoop of cooked pasta in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over the top. Garnish with a generous amount of grated cheese.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ~3 cups small pasta such as ditalini or small shells
- ~1.5 lbs ground Italian sausage casings removed
- 5 large garlic cloves minced
- 3 large shallots finely chopped
- ~1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
- ~1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- ~2 cups chopped zucchini
- ~6 cups chopped green cabbage
- 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup dry white wine like Chardonnay
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28-oz
- ~10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cans mixed beans 15-oz, rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried fennel
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown Italian sausage until cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
- Add shallots, carrots, and celery; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, and all seasonings. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add wine, simmer until reduced by half, 2 minutes.
- Pour in tomatoes and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
- Add beans, simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in separate pot according to package directions.
- Place pasta in bowls, ladle hot soup over top. Garnish with grated cheese.
