How to Make Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups cabbage chopped to taste
• 15 ounce garbanzo beans drained canned
• 28 ounce canned tomatoes crushed fine canned
• 1 cup celery diced
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 1 cup cranberry beans shelled
• 0.7 cup ditalini pasta 
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra virgin for drizzling
• 0.3 cup flat-leaf parsley fresh italian chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 6 servings salt and ground pepper black
• 1 teaspoon penzey's southwest seasoning italian
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1  onion diced
• 3 ounces pancetta chopped
• 0.3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese finely grated
• 1 teaspoon pepper flakes red to taste
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 1 bunch swiss chard chopped
• 2 cups water as needed plus more

Equipment

• bowl
• ladle
• pot

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.
4. Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.
5. Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.