Swiss Chard and Chickpea Minestrone Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the thickening agent for minestrone? ›

The secret ingredients for the minestrone soup broth are bacon, parmesan and Worcestershire sauce, and a touch of tomato paste which thickens the broth nicely as well has driving home the tomato flavour.

It keeps the gut healthy

Minestrone is rich in fiber, which helps the intestines stay healthy.

A Longevity Expert Swears By Eating Minestrone Soup Every Day—Here's Why. Plus, tips to make your own. Jill Schildhouse is an award-winning writer and editor with 23 years of experience in print and digital publishing. Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Legumes like black beans, chickpeas, navy beans, pinto beans, and peanuts contain lectins that bind to your intestines and irritate your tight junctions leading to leaky gut syndrome. Soy is considered a phytoestrogen, a type of plant-based estrogens that your body does not produce through the endocrine system.

Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. Vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and green peas. The combined nutrition of each vegetable adds a great number of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Potatoes are a good source of potassium and carrots provide beta carotene.

Minestrone and fa*gioli soups are also great options that won't inflame your reflux, but ask your server about whether they're high in garlic or onion. If you're going out for Asian food, fried foods and spices will be your biggest troublemakers.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Fun facts about minestrone soup

The word “minestrone” comes from the word “minestra”, which is an Italian word that encompasses a variety of brothy soups. Minestrone in particular refers to a thick vegetable soup.

The word minestrone, meaning a thick vegetable soup, is attested in English from 1871. It is from Italian minestrone, the augmentative form of minestra, 'soup', or more literally 'that which is served', from minestrare, 'to serve', and cognate with administer as in 'to administer a remedy'.

Can too much soup be bad for you? ›

Sodium content

Other types of soup you should watch out for are instant and canned soups, which are often loaded with sodium. High sodium intakes are associated with high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart and kidney disease, and stroke ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ).

Minestrone soup is unique because it typically includes beans, pasta, or rice, as well as vegetables, and the ingredients are always left chunky (it's never blended), making it a heartier option. Vegetable soups are usually simpler and don't typically include beans or pasta, and you could have a blended vegetable soup.

Classic minestrone soup embraces ingredients brimming with vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. Great for the skin!

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Alternatively, mix a thickening agent like arrowroot powder with cold water and stir it into the soup when it's almost done cooking. Cornstarch will do the trick, too.

cooking sauce or soup. Arrowroot starch thickens very quickly and it is unnecessary to bring the mixture to a boil for it to work. Cornstarch, on the other hand, requires heating the mix- ture to a boil to fully thicken the mixture and to avoid any “starchy” taste or texture in the fin- ished product.