- Shop
- Store
- Meal Planner
- Cooking Course
- Blue Zones Kitchen
- Blue Zones x Immunocologie
- Our Story
- Original Blue Zones Explorations
- Our Team
- History of Blue Zones
- Articles
- Recipes
- Live Better, Longer
- What We Do
- News
- Shop
- Store
- Meal Planner
- Cooking Course
- Blue Zones Kitchen
- Blue Zones x Immunocologie
- Our Story
- Original Blue Zones Explorations
- Our Team
- History of Blue Zones
- Articles
- Recipes
- Live Better, Longer
- What We Do
- News
Filter by:
- Select
- Appetizer
- Main Dish
- Side Dish
- Dessert
- Snack
- Vegetarian
- Breakfast
- Featured
- Plant-based
- Vegan
Main Dish / Vegetarian
(6,972 votes, average: 3.66 out of 5, rated)
Loading...
A bountiful dish that is eaten every day for lunch by some of the world’s longest-lived families in Sardinia, Italy. It can be made with seasonal vegetables from the garden, but always includes beans and fregula, a toasted pebble-size semolina pasta that is popular in Sardina.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup dried peeled fava beans
- 1⁄2 cup dried cranberry beans
- 1⁄3 cup dried chickpeas
- 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2⁄3 cup)
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped (about 1⁄2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (about 31⁄2 cups)
- 3 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced (about 11⁄2 cups)
- 1 1⁄2 cups chopped fennel
- 1⁄4 cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons
- chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2⁄3 cup of Sardinian fregula, Israeli couscous, or acini di pepe pasta
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup finely grated pecorino Romano (about 2 ounces)
Directions
- Soak the fava beans, cranberry beans, and chickpeas in a large bowl of water for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours (that is, overnight). Drain in a colander set in the sink. Rinse well.
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
- Stir in the tomatoes, potatoes, fennel, parsley, and basil, as well as the drained beans and chickpeas. Add enough water (6 to 8 cups) so that everything is submerged by 1 inch.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, uncovered, until the beans are tender, adding more water as necessary if the mixture gets too thick, about 1 1⁄2 hours.
- Stir in the pasta, salt, and pepper. Add up to 2 cups water if the soup seems too dry. Continue simmering, uncovered, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into each off our serving bowls. Divide the soup among them and top each with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese.
Tip: You can vary the beans in the minestrone: pinto beans make a good substitute for cranberry beans; great northern or cannellini beans, for the favas.
Tip: Use the stalks and fronds that come off a fennel bulb for the most intense flavor. No feathery fronds on the bulb? Add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to the aromatic vegetables you sauté to begin the dish.
Tip: Add other fresh vegetables from the garden or market, such as zucchini, cabbage, green beans, and cauliflower or broccoli florets.
Tip: Want a stronger tomato taste? Stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. You get the idea!
Related Posts
Vegetarian Lasagna In a Slow Cooker
A fresh plant-based spin on a traditional dish inspired by the "Blue Zones." This is…
Curried Beans
Complex in its flavor profile, this recipe incorporates sweetness from the apple, savoriness from the…
Lentil Gnocchi
With only 5 ingredients, lentil gnocchi is an easy weeknight meal you can prep ahead…
More Recipes
Get the Blue Zones Meal Planner!
Get the Newsletter
Sign up for the BLUE ZONES® free weekly email where we bring you exclusive interviews, cutting-edge longevity news, and fresh tips for living better, longer.
footer form
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Manage consent
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.