Italian · Lunch · All year
Minestrone
4.6 community
20m
Prep
40m
Cook
Easy
Level
280
kcal
The garden in a pot: soffritto, beans, seasonal vegetables, small pasta, and the parmesan rind doing quiet overtime at the bottom.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
6
1
🧅 Onion
2
🥕 Carrot
2 stalks
🥬 Celery
1
🥒 Zucchini
200 g
🫛 Green Beans
800 g
🥫 Canned Tomatoes
800 g
🫘 Kidney Beans
or cannellini
150 g
🍝 Orzo
or small pasta
1.2 l
🍲 Vegetable Stock
1 piece
🧀 Parmesan
rind
4 tbsp
🫒 Olive Oil
1 handful
🌿 Basil
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
20m
Prep
40m
Cook
60m
Total
6
Serves
Equipment
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Large bowl
Prep checklist
Kidney Beansor cannellini
Orzoor small pasta
Parmesanrind
3 steps
Method
1
Soffritto: onion, carrot, celery in olive oil, low and slow, 10 unhurried minutes.
2
Tomatoes, stock, beans, and the parmesan rind; simmer 20 minutes. Zucchini, green beans, and pasta for the final 10.
💡
The rind melts umami into the broth invisibly. Never throw a rind away again.
3
Basil and best oil over each bowl. Thickens overnight into ribollita's cousin — arguably the better meal.
Learn the technique ›
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate components separately up to 3 days; dress and assemble just before eating.
Freezing
Salads and sandwiches don't freeze; soups freeze beautifully for 3 months.
Reheating
Soups reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. Sandwiches and salads are best assembled fresh — store components separately.
Make ahead
Batch the components (proteins, dressings, grains) on Sunday; assemble in minutes all week.
Wine pairing
Something light and cold — a crisp white, a spritz, or iced tea.
Beer pairing
A crisp pilsner or wheat beer keeps lunch light.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Kettle chips or a simple green salad
·
A cup of soup
·
Quick-pickled vegetables
Garnish
Flaky salt and cracked pepper
A drizzle of good olive oil
Fresh soft herbs
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
280
kcal
12g
protein
44g
carbs
8g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Just for you
My notes
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