San Francisco Minestrone Recipes

SAN FRANCISCO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, brown meat and onion. Add carrots, celery, undrained tomatoes, and water. Mix well to combine.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in uncooked rice, spinach, basil, and black pepper.
• Re-cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes or until rice and vegetables are tender.
• When serving, top each bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons cheddar cheese.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, beans and 2 1/2 cups water. Add broth, zucchini, pasta and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley, if desired.

SAN FRANCISCO LITTLE JOES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, and cook over medium heat until soft. Add beef, mixing with onion and breaking it up into bits with a fork. Cook until no longer red.
• Add spinach. Mix well. Cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until spinach has wilted. Add salt to taste. Mix a dash of Tabasco with eggs, then pour eggs over beef. Stir until eggs set. Transfer mixture to a warm platter, and sprinkle with cheese.

BEST DARN MINESTRONE SOUP AROUND

Steps:

• In a large stock pot over medium heat, stir and cook onions in butter until soft. Add broth, mixed vegetables, kidney beans, tomatoes, spinach, and tomato paste; simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove about half of the vegetables to a blender or food processor, reserving liquid in stock pot. Puree the vegetables until smooth and return them to stock pot.
• Stir in garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, basil, macaroni, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, garbanzo beans, and heavy cream; cook for 1/2 hour, stirring frequently. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

MINESTRONE WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook pancetta over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Add leek and onion; cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in vegetables, the water, and tomatoes; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add cannellini beans and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with herbs and Parmesan cheese.

QUICK MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Make the soup base: In a medium-size heavy soup pot, combine the oil and pancetta over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion or shallots, celery and carrot. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to pot with cooked pancetta and adjust heat so the vegetables soften and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the other vegetables: Stirring after each addition, add the kale or cabbage, celery, carrots, zucchini, beans and tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water (or, if you prefer a soup that's not as thick, add additional stock to taste, up to 2 cups). Add the herb sprigs. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a full boil. Uncover, lower the heat to a bubbly simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Serve in bowls, drizzling a little olive oil and sprinkling a big pinch of cheese over each serving.

SPINACH MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan coated with non-stick spray, saute onion and garlic until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
• Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, carrots, macaroni and oregano.
• Cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in chopped spinach and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.