Italian Country Soup Recipes

ITALIAN COUNTRY SOUP

Steps:

• In large pot, heat oil then butter over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, Italian seasoning and bay leaf. Meanwhile, while onion is cooking, in small skillet, brown crumbled Italian sausage and set aside.Cook until onion is translucent, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, add white wine and cook until liquid is nearly gone. Add browned sausage to onion mixture and cook for a few minutes to blend.
• Add broth, tomatoes and frozen spinach. Bring to slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up spinach. Rinse and drain canned beans and add to pot. Add parsley, salt, pepper and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Adjust seasoning as needed, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cheese.
• You can add a little more broth or water to adjust "soupiness" to your liking - I like mine more chunky!

ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Gently cook the onion, carrots and celery in the oil in a large saucepan for 20 mins, until soft. Splash in water if they stick. Add the sugar, garlic, purée, herbs and courgettes and cook for 4-5 mins on a medium heat until they brown a little.
• Pour in the beans, tomatoes and stock, then simmer for 20 mins. If you're freezing it, cool and do so now (freeze for up to three months). If not, add half the Parmesan and the pasta and simmer for 6-8 mins until pasta cooked. Sprinkle with basil and remaining Parmesan to serve. If frozen, defrost then re-heat before adding pasta and cheese and continuing as above.

COUNTRY ITALIAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage, onion and celery until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Add the water, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in zucchini; simmer 8-10 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, and pancetta cubes. Sautee on medium heat for a few minutes stirring a couple of times in the process.
• Add potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary sprigs and a couple of pinches of salt.
• Give a nice stir and add enough water to cover all the veggies.Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Add more liquid if needed.
• Past this time veggies will become super soft and will "melt" one into another creating delicious creamy texture.
• Once veggies are cooked add chopped savoy cabbage or other leafy greens and drained canned beans. Add more water if needed. Give a nice stir and cook for another 15 minutes.
• As a last step, add pasta or rice. Let cook for 5-15 more minutes depending on how long pasta or rice will take to cook.
• If you're not planning to serve minestrone right away, don't add pasta or rice immediately.Instead, bring the soup to a boil when you're ready to serve it and then add pasta or rice.
• Minestrone is ready to serve when pasta (rice) is cooked. I takes about 5-6 minutes for ditalini pasta and about 15 minutes for rice.
• Serve hot or warm generously topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• For the beans, Cut the pancetta into 1 inch thick slices, 2 inches long.
• In a large stock pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat until golden brown in color, then add the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and cook a couple of minutes in the oil rendered from the pancetta.
• Add the beans (drained), bay leaf, and 12 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour and a half, or until the beans are almost tender.
• Remove from the heat, cover and let site 30 minutes.
• Drain the beans reserving the cooking water, and remove the bay leaf, onion, and garlic cloves.
• For the soup, heat the oil in the stock pot, and once hot add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, then add the cooked beans, rosemary sprig, and 5 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Cook on low for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.
• Remove 1/3 of the bean mixture and pulse in a food processor until creamy.
• Alternately, you could use a wand blender and blend part of the beans.
• Return the pureed beans to the pot, and mix.
• Serve the soup in bowls, with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkling of cracked black pepper on each.
• Sprinkle a little fresh herbs just before serving.

ITALIAN COUNTRY BREAD SOUP

Steps:

• Spread bread cubes in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly toasted.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook zucchini or yellow squash, sweet pepper, and onion in hot oil for 5 minutes.
• Stir in stock or broth and undrained tomatoes.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
• Ladle soup into bowls.
• Top each serving with toasted bread cubes and, if desired, Parmesan cheese.