Hey folks!
Mama here. I promised I'd send you my Gramma Santa's recipe for bean-base Italian minestrone soup. One comment before the recipe. My Gramma and my Mom always used "cranberry" beans. No, they weren't from the cranberry bush, but they were large creme and reddish-purple mottled beans. You used to be able to buy them dry in South San Francisco when I was a kid. My siblings go out to some farm in the Bay Area and buy them fresh, but for those of us that don't have that privilege, canned pink beans NOT KIDNEY BEANS, or white cannellini beans or even whole pinto beans will work. It isn't as authentic, but I won't be sending my cousins Vinny and Frankie over to "police" the beans, if you know what I mean.
That being said, here is Mama's version of Italian Minestrone Soup
Get a large soup pot, one that will hold at least 12 cups of water. Before you put water in the pot, here's the recipe.
Dice a small-medium yellow onion, chop 3 carrots, and slice and chop 3 stalks of celery top leaves included. Place veggies in the soup pot with some ground pepper, a pinch of salt if desired, and a couple of tablespoons of margarine, butter, or olive oil. Saute and occasionally stir veggies on medium to medium high heat until they are shiny and slightly cooked, about 8-10 minutes. Add 10-12 cups of water. I always add 5 to 6 packets of low sodium chicken powder. Add a few shakes of garlic powder. Add a large can of tomatoes diced in their own juice. Obviously, juice and all. Crank up the heat so the water will boil. To this mixture add the following ingredients: 2 medium peeled and diced raw potatoes, 2 regular size cans of the beans I suggested above, shredded green cabbage, some dry Italian seasoning. (Italian seasoning includes: thyme, oregano and rosemary. Look for it under the name Italian seasoning in the spices section or combing the above spices in equal amounts.) Anyway. Put a capful of the spices (about 2 tbsp.) in the pan. When the soup is bubbling throw in a heaping handful of some kind of small pasta, like ditalini or tiny shells, or even broken up spaghetti pasta. Turn the stove down to simmer/low and let it cook on the stove for about 20-25 minutes. Turn stove off. You can eat this now, or let the flavors really mingle and have it later. There is obviouly enough for freezing. And whatever you do, don't forget the parmesano/reggiano or romano dried cheese. Add a heaping couple of tablespoonfuls to this fragrant and hearty soup. Remember Mama's rule: NO SALT added during cooking. Let people add their own salt to their own bowl. Serve with a crusty sourdough round loaf, tearing off chunks of it like the Italians do.
Sometimes I will also add chopped zucchini or yellow crookneck squash in the soup, too.
Enjoy!
Mama
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