Happy New Year! I can’t believe that 2009 is almost over – the year went so fast. As we head into 2010, I want to take a moment to thank you – the readers of this blog – for your loyalty, interest in the posts and feedback surrounding all aspects of this site. You’ve helped me transform this blog into something useful for you and personally fulfilling for me.
Now, onto the food! Frequent readers of this blog know that I am a soup and stew junkie. This, this and this will likely remind you of my obsession. To me, people coming together to share one pot meals epitomizes the “comfort food” experience and I can’t seem to get enough of it!
This winter minestrone soup is the ideal dish for New Year’s Day – it’s simple, delicious and sure to cure any side effects from your New Year’s Eve festivities. A few items to note about this recipe:
- the addition of any short pasta is optional – I like to use ditalini
- when plating, add the pasta separately from the soup, as it helps maintain the al dente texture longer – especially if you plan on reheating this dish!
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 bulb fennel, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-35 oz. can whole tomatoes, lightly crushed
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 bunches Swiss Chard leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 cups short pasta, for serving
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Directions
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, fennel, potatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and their juices, stock and cannellini beans; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in vinegar and Swiss chard; season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the pasta to al dente by following the directions included with the pasta.
Divide pasta evenly between bowls. Ladle soup over the pasta and garnish with cheese. Serve immediately.
adapted from a recipe found here
Swiss Chard is an essential ingredient in this soup
I would so need a big bowl of this right this second!
Happy New Year! Your soup looks delectable! Thanks for sharing your culinary skills with us all year long!
Wow, this looks so terrific! Thank you for sharing.
I love a good minestrone soup anytime.
Delicious looking dish and picture! I’m crove for…
I wish you have an excellent year…
Try adding pancetta
That looks delicious! I love Ditalini, and hadn’t thought to add it (or Swiss Chard, for that matter) to my minestrone! On my menu…
I made this and its amazing! Subbed 1/2 cup barley for the potatos and upped the vinegar to 1 Tb.
Sounds great – I will have to try your variation!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. Full of great flavor and I could not stop eating it. It’s a real keeper.
Wow .. Made this tonight for dinner … loved it
This was really good, made it for dinner. Never had swiss chard or fennel in a recipe so I am excited it was so good!
Can I use kale instead?
I made this earlier this week and it was wonderful! I was also great for lunch the next day.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I found it through a friend on Pinterest and it is an all around hit Every time I make it. Even my 15-month old thinks it’s delicious.
Absolutely – it’s a great substitute.
I made this tonight and it was delicious!! My husband loved it. My grocery store didnt have swiss chard so I substituted collard greens. It turned out great and was so filling!!!
We just had this for dinner tonight and loved it. It was delicious and came together quickly. Thanks!
Made this soup tonight and it was wonderful! We will definitely make this again!
I just made a big batch of this. My house smells so good. I took out the celery and added a jalapeño and zucchini. I also used spinach instead. It’s awesome.
Just made this and it turned out great. I might try fresh lemon juice next time over the vinegar though. Thanks!!
It’s a cold winter night here in the teens. Found your delicious recipe and I have all the ingredients on hand. I’ll be making this soup tomorrow. Thanks for sharing it. ♥
Okay!!! I made this soup tonight and it was…out.of.this.world. One of the best soups I ever did have. So rich and tasty. I could bottle and sell this stuff and make a million dollars…yeah, it’s THAT good.