Minestrone Soup

By Marge Perry & David Bonom
A chunky vegetable soup packed with flavor and nutrients. It gets a little smoky depth of flavor from pancetta, but you can make a strictly vegetarian version simply by omitting it.
  • Course: Soup
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INGREDIENTS

  • black pepper
  • cannellini beans
  • diced carrots
  • diced zucchini
  • ditalini pasta
  • Dried basil
  • Dried Oregano
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • garlic cloves
  • kale
  • onion
  • Pancetta
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt
  • tomato paste
  • vegetable broth
  • yellow squash

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, basil, and oregano and cook until somewhat softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini, carrots, and yellow squash
  2. Increase the heat to medium, stir in the kale and pasta, return to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is tender, about 9-10 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until they are heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt and pepper. Divide among 6 bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.