Mmm Mmm Good! Campbell’s has the slogan right when it comes to a good soup, but they have nothing on Giada De Laurentiis’ Winter Minestrone. I love watching her show and her recipes. I decided it was time to try out one of her fabulous looking, smelling and tasting soups. It’s Fall after all!
I used her entire recipe below except I added ground turkey meat instead of pancetta. Feel free to use either one you like, but that was my preference for this first go around.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped (or 1lb. lean ground turkey)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb Swiss chard, stems trimmed and leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (14 oz) cans of beef broth, low sodium
- 1 oz piece Parmesan cheese rind
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta (or if using browned turkey add when you add the pureed bean mixture below), and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprigs. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard the rosemary sprigs (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem). Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Double Knotted Apron 