Minnesota Minestrone

Minnesota minestrone is what happens when an Italian pantry soup crosses the prairie and picks up cabbage and ground beef along the way. It is hearty, meaty, and unapologetically Midwestern, which is exactly why it has been holding down church basement suppers for decades.

Start by browning the beef with onion and garlic in a Dutch oven and actually draining the fat. This recipe is a one-pot from here on, so any grease you leave behind will pool on top of your finished soup. Add the tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, celery, cabbage, zucchini, and broken macaroni, along with the canning liquid from the canned vegetables. That starchy liquid is what gives traditional minestrone its body, so do not drain it.

Simmer covered for about thirty minutes. The pasta cooks right in the soup, picking up the beef and tomato flavor as it softens. Splash in red wine near the end if you have it; water works, but the wine adds depth.

Chef Tips

• Break spaghetti into one-inch pieces if you skip the elbow macaroni. It gives the soup the authentic minestrone look.
• If you plan to make this ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl at serving time. Pasta left in the soup overnight turns to mush and drinks the broth.
• Grated parmesan at the table matters here. Stir a spoonful into each bowl as you eat, and the residual heat melts it into the soup for extra richness.
• Freezing? Freeze the soup before adding pasta, then add fresh pasta when you reheat.

Variations

• Swap the ground beef for Italian sausage for a spicier, fennel-tinged broth.
• Add a parmesan rind to the simmering pot and fish it out before serving. The rind dissolves its edges into the broth for a deeper, funky savoriness.
• Stir in a handful of chopped fresh spinach or kale during the last five minutes for extra greens.