Rainy Day Minestrone Soup
Spring is teasing us here at our farm. It’s warm and sunny for a few days followed by snow flurries, rain, or thunderstorms. I do love this time of the year, it just makes the nice days feel even more special and the grey and cold days feel like an excuse to cozy up with a big bowl of nourishing soup.
This minestrone soup was inspired by veggies we still have available at our farm (overwintered carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic) along with frozen and canned veggies like green beans and tomatoes. We used local bacon and sausage for added flavor and protein. It feels great to use our own produce and local ingredients throughout the year in different and fun ways.
This soup was a hit with my family. It’s warm, comforting and my girls love all the individual components. It’s brothy and full of yummy veggies that the girls like to eat with their fingers!! My 1.5 year-old loves picking out the green beans and potatoes to eat by the fistful! Then she uses her spoon for the rest. It’s quite cute to see her style when it comes to soups like this.
We topped our soups with some lovely aged raw parmesan cheese for an absolutely perfect homemade meal.
I hope you and your family love this recipe as much as we do!
Rainy Day Minestrone Soup
PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 40 minutes SERVES: 8-10
4 slices of good quality bacon, chopped
1 pound pork sausage
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon unrefined salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 large jar (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken bone broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 jar great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup pasta (any pasta you like)
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen) chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preparation
Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium high heat until just cooked through. With a slotted spoon remove the bacon to a plate. Drain some of the drippings.
Add the pork to the same pan and cook, breaking up the meat a bit until cooked through. With a slotted spoon remove the meat to a bowl and keep to the side. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the drippings to cook the rest of your veggies.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Stir to combine everything and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies in it. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken bone broth, water and bay leaf. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the great northern beans, pasta, green beans, bacon and sausage, and simmer, uncovered until the pasta is cooked through. About 10-15 minutes.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes: Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
