Winter Minestrone

A hearty Italian winter soup packed with vegetables, pancetta, and cannellini beans. This warming minestrone features layers of flavor from pancetta, root vegetables, leafy greens, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, simmered to perfection.

8 servings

1 hr 59 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•⅓ pound pancetta
•3 medium red onions
•4 ribs celery
•2 medium carrots
•⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 bunch Swiss chard
•6 cloves garlic
•2 tablespoons tomato paste
•1 can whole tomatoes
•3 quart hot water
•5 cups Savoy cabbage
•5 cups escarole
•1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
•1 can cannellini beans
•1 serving accompaniments

Cooking Instructions

1.
Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in a wide 7-to 9-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard.
15 min
2.
Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, reserving leaves. Stir chard stems into pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 45 minutes total. (Set aside chard leaves.)
45 min
3.
Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (Paste may stick to pot, but don't let it burn.)
4 min
4.
Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then add hot water (3 quarts), scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot.
5 min
5.
Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole, and parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.
40 min
6.
Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind. Season soup with salt and pepper. If using ditalini, stir in just before serving.
10 min

Ingredients

•⅓ pound pancetta

•3 medium red onions

•4 ribs celery

•2 medium carrots

•⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

•1 bunch Swiss chard

•6 cloves garlic

•2 tablespoons tomato paste

•1 can whole tomatoes

•3 quart hot water

•5 cups Savoy cabbage

•5 cups escarole

•1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

•1 can cannellini beans

•1 serving accompaniments

Cooking Instructions

Cook pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots in oil in a wide 7-to 9-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard.

15 min

Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, reserving leaves. Stir chard stems into pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to bottom of pot, about 45 minutes total. (Set aside chard leaves.)

45 min

Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (Paste may stick to pot, but don't let it burn.)

4 min

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon, then add hot water (3 quarts), scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot.

5 min

Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole, and parmesan rind. Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes.

40 min

Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with beans. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind. Season soup with salt and pepper. If using ditalini, stir in just before serving.

10 min