Minestrone con Polpettine di Pollo

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare all the vegetables first so the cooking moves quickly: finely dice the onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini; slice the garlic; chop the parsley; grate the parmesan. Bring the stock to a simmer in a separate saucepan or microwave so it does not cool the soup pot when added.

2. 2

   Make the meatball mixture: in a bowl combine the chicken mince, parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, chopped parsley, grated garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix just until cohesive; overmixing makes the meatballs firm. With damp hands, shape into very small meatballs about 2 cm wide; you should get around 14 to 16 polpettine.

3. 3

   Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with a small pinch of the soup salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly sweet but not browned; this soffritto builds the base flavor. Add the zucchini and sliced garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

4. 4

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to caramelize slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes, hot stock, bay leaf, remaining soup salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 5 minutes so the vegetables begin to soften and the broth tastes integrated.

5. 5

   Drop the meatballs one by one into the gently simmering soup. Do not stir for the first 2 minutes or they may break before setting. Simmer for 5 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice instead of stirring hard, until the meatballs turn opaque and feel firm.

6. 6

   Add the cannellini beans and pasta. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the meatballs are fully cooked through; cut one open if needed to check that the centre is no longer pink. If the soup thickens too much, loosen with a splash of hot water.

7. 7

   Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle into warm bowls and finish each portion with grated parmesan, chopped parsley, and a little extra virgin olive oil for aroma.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •Keep the polpettine small so they cook through quickly and are easy to eat with a spoon.
• •Ditalini, tubetti, or other tiny soup pasta work best; avoid long pasta shapes.
• •For a looser minestrone, add 100 to 150 ml extra stock or hot water near the end because the pasta and beans continue absorbing liquid.
• •This soup reheats well, but if making ahead, cook the pasta separately and add it at serving time to prevent it from swelling too much.

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