Can I cook the pasta on the side?

Yes, and if you are planning on keeping the soup simmering for a while I recommend it. I cook mine in the soup because I like the flavor, but if you need to eat it later or if you like a lot of broth in the soup, do consider just cooking the pasta in another pot. The noodles soak up a lot of the broth.

Can I put meat in minestrone soup?

Traditional minestrone doesn't have meat in it. However, it's a great way to add even more protein and texture into the soup. It's also just really yummy, but feel free to leave it out. The soup is already loaded with protein from the beans, so it is up to you!

What is minestrone made of?

Minestrone is typically made from veggies like carrot, celery, onion and garlic and loaded with beans, and a small type of pasta, like ditalini or elbows. It is then cooked in chicken stock to create a flavorful experience. I add a few ingredients into my recipe to make it extra delish!

What's the best pasta for minestrone soup?

I prefer Ditalini pasta for its small shape. Elbow noodles have always been ultra popular too. Stick with a small noodle, but not as tiny as something like an Orzo pasta.

Chicken Minestrone Soup - Simply Made Eats

Description

This Chicken Minestrone Soup with Pasta Recipe will fill every portion of your soul on a cold day. It is delicious, healthy and full of flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 zucchini, medium diced
1/2 of a small sweet yellow onion, medium diced
2 celery stalks, medium diced
1 carrot, medium diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup of roughly chopped kale with no stems, depending on how much you like kale. You can easily go spinach instead, if preferred.
(1) 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
(1) 14 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
(1) 16 ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained
(1) 16 ounce can of kidney beans, drained
(1) 14 ounce can of cut green beans, drained
(2) 32 ounce containers of Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock. *If you like a lot of broth, you may want 3 containers.
1 rotisserie chicken or 2 cooked chicken breast, shredded into pieces
1/2 cup of Ditalini or Orzo pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for garnish

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Instructions

Begin by placing a dutch oven or large pot on medium heat on the stovetop. Once heated, add olive oil.
To the pot, add zucchini, onion, celery, carrot. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add in oregano, salt, and pepper.
Add in the bay leaf and garlic. Stir and allow garlic to cook for 30 seconds.
Toss in kidney & garbanzo beans, green beans, and fire roasted tomatoes.
Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a low boil. Stir well. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for an hour.
After an hour, add the kale and shredded chicken. Stir and increase the heat to medium low.
Add in pasta and stir every few minutes. Cook for 12-15 minutes until al dente. Turn off the stovetop and place dutch oven on another burner to avoid the pasta from overcooking.
Serve and enjoy! I love topping this soup with a hearty amount of parmesan cheese.

Equipment

wusthof knife

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dutch oven

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Notes

Do not leave the soup simmering on the stove, if you've added the pasta. This soup is intended to eat right away. Make sure the heat is off or the ditalini will continue to cook and swell.
If you are going to add the pasta into the pot, it needs a little extra loving care. It's going to stick to the bottom, so you will have to stir it every minute or so. I love the flavor the soup brings to the noodles, but if you don't want to deal with this, just cook pasta on the side and add it in at serving.
I highly suggest using a dutch oven for this recipe. It cooks the vegetables perfectly, and still allows for all of the contents of the minestrone soup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: Italian