There’s minestrone, and then there’s minestrone Triestino — the version from the north-eastern Italian city of Trieste that’s richer, heartier, and more deeply flavoured than anything you’ll find in a tin. Originally a peasant dish made with whatever vegetables were on hand, this soup has been warming Italian families for generations. Once you try it, you’ll understand why.
The secret is a hint of smoky bacon, a generous handful of greens, and the clever trick of mashing the cooked potatoes back into the broth to give it body without needing any cream or thickener. It’s a proper, old-fashioned soup that happens to be packed with vegetables.
Italian Minestrone Soup
Ingredients (Serves 6–8)
• 60g double smoked bacon, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 250g Swiss chard (silverbeet), leaves and stems roughly chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into thick slices
• 150g baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 100g green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 large carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 1 celery stalk, cut into thick slices
• 4 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (divided — see method)
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1.5 litres beef or vegetable stock
• 150g small pasta shells or ditalini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan or Grana Padano, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
1. Cook the bacon and onion: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon and chopped onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent and the bacon is lightly golden.
2. Add the vegetables: Add the Swiss chard, zucchini, spinach, celery, green beans, carrots, potatoes, and half the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything together and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
3. Add the stock and simmer: Pour in the stock, season generously with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes until all the vegetables are very tender.
4. Mash the potatoes: Remove the cooked potatoes from the pot. Mash them well, then mix in the remaining chopped tomatoes. Return this mixture back to the pot and stir through — this is what gives the broth its wonderful body and richness.
5. Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the pot and cook for 5–7 minutes until just tender. Don’t overcook — the pasta will continue to soften in the hot broth.
6. Finish and serve: Stir in the butter, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into deep bowls and serve with crusty bread.
Tips
• If you plan to freeze this soup, leave the pasta out and add it fresh when reheating — pasta becomes mushy after freezing.
• This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen overnight.
• Swiss chard (silverbeet) is available at most Australian supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use extra spinach.
• For a vegetarian version, simply skip the bacon and use vegetable stock.
Approximate Time
Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Serves 6–8 generously