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My mom introduced this recipe to me and I always loved it. Over the years I have adapted it somewhat to make it just how we like it. It is especially good made with home bottled tomatoes, but I have had good results with store tomatoes at times when I was out or didn’t want to share my home bottled treasures with a large group. 😉 I have made it in the Instant pot as well (30 min on high, release pressure, add green beans and pressurize for an additional 1 minute). Usually, I use the slow cooker so I can fix it in the morning and forget it until I put the green beans in about 30 minutes before we want to eat.
I like to eat it with parmesan cheese cut into chunks with a side of sourdough bread.
Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup. A delicious tomato based soup with sausage, chickpeas, and veggies.
Author: Heather Cook – adapted from Managing Your Meals, Winnifred Jardine Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: variable Total Time: variable Yield: 8 servings 1x Category: soup, slow cooker, dinner Method: slow cooker, stove top, instant pot Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Scale 1x2x3x
3/4 lb bulk pork sausage4 C water2 T beef bouillon/beef base 1 large onion, chopped2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced thin2 medium celery ribs, split lengthwise and sliced thin1 quart home bottled tomatoes or 1 16 oz can pureed/crushed tomatoes2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce or 1 15 oz can 2 tsp crushed dried parsley flakes1/2 tsp crushed dried basil1/2 tsp crushed dried oreganoSalt and pepper to taste (I usually taste and adjust salt after it’s done)1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 C pre-soaked garbanzo beans1/2 tsp baking soda (takes away some of the acidity from the canned tomatoes)2 C green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
Brown pork sausage, drain fat. If using home bottled tomatoes, pour 1 quart at a time in the blender and blend for a few seconds (so you don’t get large tomato chunks in your soup). Add the sausage through baking soda to a crock pot or large, heavy, pot on the stove. Simmer, covered for 4-6 hours, or turn on the slow cooker to high until boiling (1-2 hours) and then low for up to 8 hours. Thirty minutes before serving time, add the beans. Simmer until the beans are tender.
Notes Note: I like to pour the measured herbs into my hands and rub my hands together over the pot to crush them further. My grandma taught me to do this to release some of the oils/flavor of the dried herbs. I love the smell and I think of her every time I do it.
Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup. A delicious tomato based soup with sausage, chickpeas, and veggies.
Ingredients
- ¾ lb bulk pork sausage
- 4 C water
- 2 T beef bouillon/beef base
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced thin
- 2 medium celery ribs, split lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 quart home bottled tomatoes or 1 16 oz can pureed/crushed tomatoes
- 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce or 1 15 oz can
- 2 tsp crushed dried parsley flakes
- ½ tsp crushed dried basil
- ½ tsp crushed dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste (I usually taste and adjust salt after it’s done)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ C pre-soaked garbanzo beans
- ½ tsp baking soda (takes away some of the acidity from the canned tomatoes)
- 2 C green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Brown pork sausage, drain fat. If using home bottled tomatoes, pour 1 quart at a time in the blender and blend for a few seconds (so you don’t get large tomato chunks in your soup). Add the sausage through baking soda to a crock pot or large, heavy, pot on the stove. Simmer, covered for 4-6 hours, or turn on the slow cooker to high until boiling (1-2 hours) and then low for up to 8 hours. Thirty minutes before serving time, add the beans. Simmer until the beans are tender.
