Description

This easy, nourishing minestrone is a big, hearty Italian-style soup made with rainbow chard, white beans, and bright lemon. It’s meant to be flexible—use orzo, potatoes, rice, or your favorite high-protein pasta, and add or swap vegetables based on what you have on hand. It’s cozy, practical, delicious, and perfect for a clean-out-the-fridge dinner.

Ingredients

Units

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large leek, white and light green parts chopped (save dark green stalk for simmering)
1 bunch rainbow chard (or any color chard)
3 tablespoons tomato paste*
3 cloves garlic, chopped, pressed, or grated
1 dried bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh thyme, optioanly tied with kitchen twine for stem removal (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
6 cups filtered water (or stock of choice)
1 (15-ounce can) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup orzo pasta (or any small pasta)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste if needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges
optional: freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
optional: any fresh tomatoes if you have them

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Instructions

Step 1: Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot, celery and leek. Saute until softened 4-5 minutes. If it starts to brown quickly, turn down the heat.
Step 2: Add the chopped rainbow chard stems and saute 1 minute. Add the tomato paste (if using*), stir and cook 2-3 minutes until it turns a bright brick red color (add another tablespoon oil if it looks dry). Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more until very fragrant.
Step 3: Add the thyme, bay leaf, drained & rinsed beans, salt, pepper, and water. Add the large, whole dark green end of the leek if you have it. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes to let the aromatics flavor the soup.
Step 4: Remove the leek stem, bay leaf, and thyme stems if they are easy to fish out. Bring the soup to a rolling simmer, add the pasta, and cook according to the pasta package instructions (usually about 10 minutes).
Step 5: Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in soup bowls with a squeeze of lemon, and optionally freshly grated parmesean cheese.
Storage: Keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

Notes

Minestrone comes from the Italian word minestra, meaning soup, with “-one” added to mean big or hearty — it’s meant to be flexible.

Stir in cooked chicken at the end for extra protein, or use bone broth instead of water.

Swap the white beans for chickpeas or lentils.

Use diced potatoes, cooked rice, or your favorite high-protein pasta instead of orzo.

For the tomatoes, use tomato paste (cook it for a few minutes first), crushed tomatoes, or fresh chopped tomatoes.

Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add extra liquid when reheating since the pasta absorbs broth.