Hearty Mexican Minestrone Recipes

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Sauté the vegetables: Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the bay leaf, thyme, fennel seeds. Add the potato, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes. Add the chicken stock.
• Simmer the soup: Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
• Finish the soup: Add the beans and parsley to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

HEARTY MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook the sausage until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings. Saute celery and onion in drippings for 5 minutes. Add sausage and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

MEATBALL MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Combine milk, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a large bowl. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape into 36 to 48 meatballs.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs in batches until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Combine beef broth, tomatoes, corn, celery, cabbage, onion, zucchini, wine, parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Stir in browned meatballs. Simmer soup until vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Stir in broken spaghetti and cook until tender, about 20 minutes more.

HEARTY MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the pork, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. , Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato juice, tomato sauce, broth, carrots, zucchini, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar if desired and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until carrots are tender. , Transfer 6 cups of soup to a freezer container; cool. Freeze for up to 3 months. Add water and pasta to remaining soup; bring to a boil. Cover and cook until pasta is tender. , To use frozen soup: Thaw in the refrigerator; transfer to a large saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add pasta; cover and cook until tender.

JUDY'S HEARTY VEGETABLE MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pour vegetable stock over the vegetable mixture; season with Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir tomatoes, potatoes, and kidney beans into the stock mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Add kale and continue cooking until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes.

HEARTY SAUSAGE MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, celery and carrots over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain., Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, garlic powder and pepper; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, covered, 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Freeze option: Freeze cooled minestrone in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth if necessary.

HEARTY VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and celery; cook and stir until soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in green beans, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper; cook for about 5 minutes. Add diced and crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth; bring to a boil. If it looks too thick, add a bit of water.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in kidney beans, cannellini beans, and macaroni; cook until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan-style cheese and fresh basil.

HEARTY MEXICAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet, (or large sauce pan with wide base), saute green onions, potato, and garlic in oil until soft.
• Add all remaining ingredients except lime juice and peel.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender.
• Stir in lime juice and peel, remove bay leaves. ENJOY!