A long time ago when my husband, house, and baby were all fairly new, I decided to have a dinner party. I was working full time so a certain level of planning and prep was both a necessity and fun. I always love to plan a party. All the most recent issues of Gourmet and Bon Appetite plus my favorite cookbooks were spread out in the kitchen. The menu was fairly well set – at least in my head, when my husband announced that he was having some weird medical tests and couldn’t eat red meat or seafood for a couple of days. That felt limiting to a girl who was planning a party featuring beef bourguignon and a shrimp appetizer. Now, married for many years, I would probably tell him to push the food around on his plate, eat the salad, and dig in the refrigerator when company was gone, but I was practically a newly wed and much nicer. I finally settled for a wonderful salad followed by a spring minestrone soup and crusty garlic bread. I don’t think I’ve ever received as many compliments. Somehow it turned out to be the perfect dinner and the soup was just out of this world delicious. This party happened long before we had the ability to scan a recipe into a computer to save it. I’m quite sure I cut that recipe out of a magazine, or folded down a page in a book, but I was never able to find it – trust me I looked everywhere. For years I’ve tried to make this soup again, but it’s never seemed as perfect. Then, a few weeks ago I was reading through a magazine left behind in a rental house that had copies of old recipes. There was a recipe for minestrone that was ALMOST IT. It left out the navy beans, and basil, plus a slash of white wine, but the rest seemed right on target. I made it last night with a couple of alterations and I have to say – and so did my family- it was perfection. The soup is light enough for spring and just the thing for a rainy night. We ate every bite. I’ll be making Springtime Minestrone Soup again soon, maybe for a repeat dinner party twenty years later, and definitely for friends and family. I’m so happy to have this one back in my recipe collection!
Ingredients
12 oz ground chicken (I love how light this tastes, but you could use turkey or beef)
½ cup panko (or fine bread crumbs)
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp chopped chives
1 egg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil (more if needed to sauté meatballs)
2 leeks white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
8 cups chicken broth
½ cup white wine
4 carrots sliced
1 can navy beans drained
1 cup dry favorite small pasta (we used oreccheitte)
Optional: Parmesan rind
2 cups fresh spinach
Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish
Directions
Make meatballs by thoroughly combining chicken with panko, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chives, egg, salt and pepper.
Form into small balls and put on a plate.
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Sauté meatballs a few at a time to not crowd skillet until browned on all sides. (they will continue to cook in the soup)
Remove to a plate.
Add leeks to the same pot, adding more olive oil if necessary, and sauté until wilted about three minutes.
Add sliced garlic and cook another minute.
Add broth, wine, carrots, beans, and Parmesan rind if using.
Bring heat to a medium low simmer.
Simmer about five minutes until carrots begin to soften.
Bring a small pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
As pasta cooks add meatballs to the soup to finish cooking.
Add drained pasta to the soup and stir in spinach cooking until it wilts, about one minute.
Remove Parmesan rind and taste for salt and pepper.
Serve soup in large bowls.
Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
