While thousands of ethnic dishes have been successfully adapted to our Western palates, we still seek authenticity and value it over convenience of using readily available local ingredients, taking shortcuts during preparation and enjoying familiar tastes. Sometimes, when trying authentic dishes, I fall in love with them so much that I make my best to recreate them at home and save the recipes in my recipe box for future use. This minestrone soup is one such example.
Recently, on a night out, I tried this fabulously tasting soup at a local Italian restaurant. It's rich and complex taste, complemented by a hint of smoky bacon, just blew my taste buds away. I complimented the chef on the soup and asked to tell me more about it. He smiled and said: "It's minestrone Triestino. The best! My family used this recipe for generations".
As soon as I got home I began my search in an effort to recreate this delicious soup at home. The minestrone Triestino, or minestrone from Trieste, also known as 'jota', is a traditional dish in Italy's north-eastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in particular in the cities of Trieste and Gorizia. Originally, this was a peasant dish and was prepared with simple ingredients. This minestrone is tasty and comforting, and peasants liked to enjoy it on cold winter evenings. However, the delightful soup eventually became popular across the entire region and beyond, no matter what season.
There are numerous variations of minestrone from Trieste, from ingredients to methods of preparation. Some versions use more beans. Some add corn or barley to the traditional recipe, while others add sauerkraut or yellow polenta flour. Vegetables in this soup also vary from season to season based on availability.
My search for an authentic Italian minestrone from Trieste yielded several promising recipes which I eagerly attempted and thoroughly enjoyed. But, only one stood out and reminded me of the minestrone that I tried at the local restaurant. It had the same richness, similar ingredients, the same smoky flavor... I loved it. I hope you enjoy it too.
Recipe adapted from Donna Moderna. Recipe translation, ingredient conversions and notes are courtesy of cravingtasty.com.
Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe (Trieste Style)
Ingredients
- 2 oz double smoked bacon (diced)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1/2 lb (about 5 1/2 cups) Swiss chard (leaves and stems, roughly chopped)
- 1/2 lb (two small or one large) zucchini (cut into thick slices)
- 5 oz (2 packed cups) spinach (roughly chopped)
- 3 oz (about 1 cup) chopped green beans (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
- 2 carrots (cut into thick slices)
- 1 celery rib (cut into thick slices)
- 2 tomatoes (peeled and sliced)
- 2 large potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
- 6 1/2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 tomatoes (peeled and minced)
- 5 oz (1 1/2 cups) durum wheat semolina pasta
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (for frying)
- 4 Tbsp Grana Padano cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and bacon, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the Swiss chard, zucchini, spinach, celery, green beans, potatoes, carrots and the 2 sliced tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- Add the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, covered, for an hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the pot, mash, mix with the minced tomatoes and return back to the pot.
- Add the pasta and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. The time will depend on the kind of pasta you are using.
- Add the chopped parsley, butter and 4 tablespoons of Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Mix well and serve.
Nutrition
Margie Jory says
I have made this numerous times! So delicious
victor says
Happy to hear it, Margie. We love this soup in our family.
Linda says
Can you use can tomatoes and if so how many ?
victor says
Linda, I haven't used canned tomatoes with this recipe but I don't see why you couldn't. I would use an equivalent amount of canned tomatoes, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups.
Dawna says
Victor, I’m making this tomorrow, I want to freeze it. What would you suggest I do, leave the pasta the pasta out and add it as I warm it up.
Your recipe looks excellent. I’m a senior and after 40 plus years of cooking, I can judge by the recipe as to how the soup will be.
I plan on trying a couple more of your soup recipes.
Thanks for the great recipes!
victor says
You are very welcome, Donna. Yes, this one is one of our favorite soups. If possible, add pasta later. Over time, pasta tends to absorb more liquid making soup thicker and the pasta itself becomes mushy. Freezing and defrosting won't help either.
Dawna says
Thank you. I have the soup on the stove simmering, smells great. I cooked five ounces of smoky bacon and added the diced onion to it, I added a bit of butter and the olive oil , I then let the onions caramelize, My kitchen at 6am this morning had the fragrance of a great Italian restaurant. Carmelized onions helps to give the soup a deeper taste. By the way, I used the swiss chard and spinach. First time I ever cooked chard. I will add pasta as I serve the soup.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
victor says
You are very welcome. I can almost smell your soup from here;-) Bon appetit!
Maggie says
Just like my Sicilian mother used to make. Swiss chard is the key (IMHO).
victor says
Hi Maggie, thank you for your feedback. I don't have a frame of reference but I can say that I love Swiss chard in this soup. It adds a great amount of flavor.
Dee says
So delicious! We only cooked soup for 20 minutes instead of 1 hour 15 minutes after adding vegetable broth. Even then the potatoes were beginning to fall apart. The end results are amazing.
Maria says
Haven't made this yet, but it is the only recipe I found that includes swiss chard and spinach which is how my Mom (a native Siclian) made it. Looking forward to making it!
Kerri says
How high do you cook the soup for the 1.5hours?
victor says
I put it on the lowest heat setting for a gentle simmer.
dannie says
baked bread will be my favourite side dish to partake with this great meal.
Sylvia says
WOW just what I was looking for.
Adina says
I got so many compliments on this and have already been asked to make it again, thank you for making me look great! 🙂
victor says
You are very welcome. Glad you liked the soup.
Alla says
Looks mouth-watering. I am a big fan if Italian soups and I like authentic recipes like this one. I will be making this minestrone on the weekend for sure.
Andrea says
Isn't minestrone meatless? Do you have to add bacon?
victor says
It doesn't have to be, some recipes add meat. There are many variations of this soup, there is no right or wrong here. You can vary the ingredients, and locals do that all the time. That won't make the soup less authentic or less tasty. You can skip the bacon if you wish, but I did like the hint of smoky flavor coming from the bacon.