by WinnieAb
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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2
slices preservative-free, all-natural bacon, chopped into small pieces
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1
large onion, peeled and chopped
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2
large cloves of garlic, minced
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1
leek, trimmed and sliced thinly
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3
carrots, peeled and chopped
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2
ribs of celery, chopped
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1
zucchini, chopped
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1
potato, peeled and chopped
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4 cups
vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
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1
15 oz. can of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic
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1
28 oz. can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice
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Salt
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1 cup
kale, chopped fine
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1
9-ounce package of high quality, all-natural cheese tortellini
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Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling- optional
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Grated parmesan cheese for garnish- optional
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion, garlic and leek. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the chopped carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and stir around for a minute or two.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the stock, the chickpeas, and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the kale and the tortellini, and continue to cook over a simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of the aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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1 cup
loosely packed basil or parsley
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2 tablespoons
pine nuts, toasted
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2
cloves garlic, peeled
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2
tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it's very fine...when you do this, you'll reduce it down to about 1/4 cup.
Ask the hotline about this step!As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the other ingredients and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.
Ask the hotline about this step!Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Use as a garnish for the minestrone.
Ask the hotline about this step!I'm a little tardy to the party here, but had to say that i LOVED this! I was in a minestrone mood, but the only recipe I know for it is my mom's--which is mind-blowing--and it takes forever to make. Not good for after work. Also, we've been trying to cut back on meat and up our vegetable intake, and Mom has a lot of meat in there. So. I did everything I was told for this, and the only thing that took some time was the chopping (I'm still not an experienced cook like y'all, so I'm sure it's just me). Oh, and I cooked the tortellini on its own (and only half of it for the two of us) because I knew I'd have leftovers and didn't want it sitting around in there getting mushy.
It was so much more delish than the easy preparation, short time, and simple ingredients would have suggested to me! This will be a regular at our house. Thank you!
This was absolutely wonderful. The bacon does have a nice smokey flavor that does not over power the rest of the flavors. The bacon adds a nice background taste to soup. This recipe will be a standard from now on in my home.
I will add to the accolades--deeeeelicious! I made the parsley pesto, and it really added so much to an already great soup. Thanks so much, Winnie.
I made this minestrone for the first time last night based on so many positive reviews and I agree - it is excellent. I loved the pesto and balsamic garnish. Looking forward to leftovers this evening. I will definitely make this again.
Making it for the 2nd time, hope I can make it as good as the1st time. Using spinach tortellini this time.
this is seriously the best minestrone soup EVER!!! The combination of flavors together cooked down with the pesto is so unique!! The only modifications I made; I added in the extra basil left over to the veggies as they were cooking down, I cooked it down for about double the time to really bring out the flavors and I added twice as much stock to make it more soupy since the starches soaked so much of it up!!
Thanks WinnieAb!!! =)
I swear this soup has magical properties... It's amazing every single time - and so far there have been quite a few times.
I've made this three times, and every single time I am blown away by how tasty it turns out! I've started making hand-chopped pesto regularly as well, since this method makes it easy to control the amount and the consistency. The one addition I recommend is smoked Spanish paprika -- it really kicks the smoke flavor off the charts! Permanent staple in my recipe box, for sure.
I looked at this recipe this morning and thought that with such great ingredients this has to be great - I'll make it tonight. Wow!!! In fact, between myself and my husband the utterance of "wow" must have occurred 10 times. I mean this is seriously delicious with such a blend of flavors - I can't wait to make it again. In fact, I'm brand new to this site... had to sign up just to thank you for this incredible recipe!!
I really appreciate your taking the time to leave this lovely comment! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe :)
This has been in my saved recipes list for as long as the recipe has been on food52, and as it's simmering away tonight (finalement!), I know I'll be making it a lot this winter. Yum, yum, yum! Even before the tortellini (which will make this a winner with my preschoolers), this is delicious. Fantastic.
I was right- making the second batch a mere 5 days later :)
thanks for the great recipe, made it last saturday night and my 9 year old daughter loved it. the aroma was so wonderful she couldn't stay out of the the kitchen while it was cooking.
After enjoying this minestrone last winter, I chose it to kick-off soup season. I doubled it, added the last of our garden's green beans, and everyone loved it, including my in-laws visiting from California.
This was really excellent, WinneAb. I made this last night but adapted it for Meatless Monday and summer heat by not using the bacon, potato or tortellini. Instead, I tossed in some Pecorino rinds for depth and put a slice of hearty, slightly stale bread in the bottom of each bowl a la Ribollita. My husband and I really loved it, and my boys can't wait to have it today for lunch.
Just made this last night in the 90 degree heat. So wonderful. I have a MSG intolerence so I substituted goat cheese tortellini and goat cheese for the pesto instead of parm. This hit my comfort zone perfectly. And i have lots left =) Thanks a bunch!!!!
I am not a chief by any means, but when I was a child I learned all the basics from from grandfather an italian cook. He would make this homemade sauce that took 3 days and always told me the best dishes have a lot of work and take time. So far this is the best recipe I have found on food52! It has become something I make once or twice a month! I just love how its hearty and healthy. Thank you!!!
I love this soup. Made it 3 times adding variations like cabbage... It never dissapoints!
I absolutely loved this recipe. Not only was it supremely simple to make, but it felt both healthy and decadent to eat. Plus, I got nearly a week's worth of various leftovers, lunch, a snack here or there. This is definitely going into my permanent rotation! Loved it!
My anit-bean, anti-kale, anti-zuchini husband ate it. While he didn't rave, he didn't complain either - that's an accomplishment! And I really enjoyed it. This seems like a nice soup to serve to a crowd; it's a one-bowl dinner.
I am glad to hear you husband didn't hate it :) And yes- it will definitely feed a crowd!
Wow. This is wonderful. We made it for dinner this evening with the buttermilk oatmeal bread. Yum!!
this is so delicious! i just made it for dinner. and omitted the pine nuts, kale, potatoes and leeks to save some money and trouble. and it was stillllll delicious! i will definitely make it again :)
This is the best soup I have ever had! We ate the leftovers for a week and it was delicious every single time!
My boyfriend also told me this was the BEST soup he'd ever had in his whole life...and that means he ranked it #1 over his own grandmother's vegetable soup...and she's one of those legendary Southern ladies who cooks delicious everything.
I didn't have any potato, so I substituted with a half of a sweet potato, which was still good. I think it was a little sweeter with it, so I didn't add any balsamic vinegar to my second helping. I also "accidentally" added an extra bacon piece, as well ;) So good!
I altered this recipe a bit, substituting whole-wheat rotini for the tortellini. I also added a bit of grated lemon zest and basil to the pesto. The added zing of the citrus was a perfect enhancement to the hearty soup. Got raves on the recipe from everyone I served it to. It's a winner!
I've made this twice for my vegetable-impaired family to huge success. There is at least one vegetable in here that each of my kids and my husband claim to hate, but they keep eating everything in the bowl and asking for seconds! When I put this on to cook last night, the pickiest eater in the house said simply, 'yay!' Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy your family loves it and thanks so much for letting me know :)
Made this for dinner last night - did not have bacon, so I took hot Italian sausage out of its casings (3 links) and used that. Followed the recipe otherwise. Absolutely delicious! My husband came home from the airport very late in the evening, heated up some soup, then came upstairs and woke me up to tell me "That soup is one of the best things I've eaten in my whole life!" Need I say more??
What a great compliment! Thanks so much for letting me know :)
Made this for one of our Superbowl eats on Sunday and WOW! Totally delicious and one of my 'go to' meals from now on. The whole family just loved it! Most excellent!!!!
I made this today & it's absolutely delicious! The only change I made was to substitute green beans for the potatoes. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
I forgot to mention that the tortellini really is a stroke of genius for this recipe. So much tastier than plain pasta.
Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed it BlissfulBaker!
this was dinner last night, and it was fabulous! great way to get a bunch of veggies.
Thanks for the recipe. I made it tonight - it was delicious!
Looks great--
I made this soup last night and it was really easy and absolutely delicious. Perfect for a cold Sunday night and hearty enough to eat all week, not to mention it was perfectly done in two hours. This is the winter meal in a bowl you dream of but never had the recipe to pull off in a short amount of time. I will be making this a lot this winter. Also, I have never had parsley pesto but its the best thing ever, it was like adding a bunch of lemon zest to the dish, it really brightened the taste but without too much acid and it didn't change the texture of the soup, just enhanced the flavor, absolutely a winner.
We've got terrible weather here today- I really wish I'd stocked up on the ingredients to make some myself!
I love this soup--especially with the pesto--the only thing I added is to throw in the rind of the parmesan while you simmer the soup. Thanks for such a wonderful meal in a bowl.
I've made this two times now, and the whole family loves it. The recipe makes quite a lot, but it was still pretty good the next day for lunch. I haven't made the pesto part yet, as I am still using my basil pesto cubes from my summer basil harvest!
Do try the parsley pesto if you have a chance...I think I prefer it :)
This is a fantastic, hearty soup. Loved all of the healthful vegetables, especially the kale. Couldn't get fresh basil - it was looking rather limp and sad on the market shelf - so subbed in some homemade pesto from our freezer. We will be making this again!
This was our delicious dinner over the weekend! (Though I did have to make a few substitutions for being out in the sticks with only a very "mainstream" grocery store to work with.) Thanks for the recipe!
While the soup simmers, I just wanted to let you know that it looks fabulous! I am making it with my children in mind...they all love tortellini..and the flavors of bacon and onions. I have one that has "issues" with green vegetables, but I chopped the kale so fine that perhaps even he will miss it. I have a good feeling about it. Thank you for the recipe!
thanks for the fantastic recipe. i used pancetta and replaced carrots with parsnips but otherwise i followed your recipe. i loved the basil pesto swirled in. my friends told me the soup was "slamming!"
I am making this and I know it will be just great. I love kale. I will have to leave out the bacon, though. My family just won't touch it. I usually make up for this by sauteeing the onion, pepper, other aromatics, etc., and it had a nice deep flavor without bacon.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious!! I think my five-year old said it best - (quickly echoed, literally, by my three-year old) "this is the best soup in the galaxy!" Even though it is warm and muggy here in HI - this was perfect. So glad there is a lot left for lunch tomorrow (requested by both kiddos for school lunch too).
This is a great recipe! We don't eat meat, so I skipped the bacon and used some alderwood smoked salt to substitute for the smokey bacon flavor. It worked out well! Thanks!
I juste made the minestrone, really good !
Love love it! A new twist on minestrone. It's cold here in the UK so I will defintely be trying this out!
Monica
www.balleindianfood.com
forgot to say thank you for turning me on to parsley pesto. i'm a convert!
Made this last night after work and even enjoyed the process at the end of a long day! It was yummy and soul-satisfying with a dollop of parsley pesto, a drizzle of amazing, very old balsamic, and some grated Reggiano. I was a happy woman. And my daughter gave it the thumbs up as well.
We're back now from vacation and I'm catching up on all the Food52 happenings. This recipe looks absolutely wonderful!! I can't wait to make it. Congrats on another great winning recipe for the book!
I made this wonderful soup for dinner tonight. We all just loved it!! Sooooo glad there are leftovers for tomorrows lunches :-) Yum!!
PESTO PERFECTO! I made your pesto with parsley and planned to serve it with grilled salmon tonight. But it is so fresh and delicious, we were eating it by the spoonful long before dinner was ready. There are thousands of recipes for pesto, with so many different balances of the ingredients, but your ingredients and proportions are the best! I can't thank you enough. (And I can't wait to make the minestrone.)
I just finished a big bowl of this soup...it was delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Congrats on your win WinnieAb -- so very well deserved!
This looks amazing. I am making it to eat the next day. Would you add the tortellini and kale the day we are eating it?
That certainly wouldn't be a bad idea, but I made it in its entirety and reheating leftovers over the next few days with no issues...
Congrats WinnieAb! I can't wait to try this in the fall when it's not in the high 90's as it is here today (and for the rest of the summer...).
Looks really good. Can't wait for all the veggies from our CSA start arriving. Lots of good soups in store for the summer.
Wow, this looks great!! I love soup of any kind. This looks absolutely heavenly! We still hot weather and here in Tx, that's not likely to change until November. LOL! However, I'll just turn down the a/c a couple notches and stay inside and enjoy a bowl.
It's definitely best warm, but cold leftovers of this soup aren't so bad either...
For anyone who wants to omit the bacon, a spoonful of pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) is a great way to get some smoky flavor in there.
I am so in the mood for this right now. Congrats on making it to the "finals!"
Way to go Winnie! There is so much goodness packed into each bowl of this soup, I hardly know where to start. Love that it was a hit with the whole family (not easy, I know), the smoke of the bacon, the sweetness of the vegetables, and the fresh pop of the pesto....YUM! Got my Vote.
Thanks Steve! My daughter is the toughest "customer". She's 8 and picky about vegetables, but she does love bacon!
Congrats WinnieAb! This looks great!
This is a great one-bowl meal. I can't wait to make it this fall. Also, tortellini is one of my daughter's favorites, she'll dig this for sure!
Rarely do I make something that both kids, my husband and I all love, but this did it. I left off the pesto for the kids, though...
Lovely recipe, this certainly is a complete meal in a bowl. Perfect!
Fantastic recipe, Winnie! I'm looking forward to some cooler weather this weekend to give this yummy sounding soup a try.
Thanks Mrs. W...thank goodness that heat broke, or there's no way I'd be cooking anything anytime soon!
I'm looking forward to trying this out Winnie. I love kale in my veggie soups and the tortellini floating amongst it all sounds great.
Kim is a pastry chef & author of the award-winning whole grain baking book Good to the Grain.
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This soup requires a fair amount of prep, but it's worth it.
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It's a veritable rainbow of vegetables!
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Amanda gets ready to chop some kale. (WinnieAb is very good at adding that extra dose of something healthy to her recipes.)
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Of course, we love that she starts this one with bacon!
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In go leeks and chopped onion.
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Along with a generous dose of garlic.
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Now the carrots, zucchini, celery and potatoes join the party!
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WinnieAb gives a choice of basil or parsley for the pesto -- we went with parsley.
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Amanda picks the pine nuts out of the gorgeous pile of pesto ingredients in the previous slide when she realizes they need to be toasted.
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Meanwhile, chicken stock, chickpeas and San Marzano tomatoes go into the pot to be simmered with the rest of the veggies and the bacon.
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Toasted pine nuts!
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This hand-chopped pesto ends up being beautifully rustic.
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After the veggies have softened, the kale goes in, along with the tortellini.
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Cook the soup just until the tortellini is tender, and then serve right away so it doesn't get soggy!
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I was excited to make soup. I followed directions exactly, but felt the soup lacked depth. Also, didn't taste the smokiness. Not sure what went wrong here...