Chef John's Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ounces chopped pancetta
• 1 onion , diced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water , plus more as needed
• 1 can plum tomatoes , 28 ounce
• 1 cup cranberry beans , shelled
• 2 cups chopped cabbage , or more to taste
• 1 can garbanzo beans , 15 ounce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes , or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 bunch Swiss chard , chopped
• 0.67 cups ditalini pasta
• salt and ground black pepper
• 0.25 cups extra virgin olive oil , for drizzling
• 0.25 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions and celery; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for another minute.

2. 2

   Pour chicken broth, water, and plum tomatoes into the pancetta and onion mixture. Bring to a simmer.

3. 3

   Stir cranberry beans, cabbage, garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and 2 teaspoons salt into broth mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until cranberry beans are tender, adding more water as needed if the soup becomes too thick, about 45 minutes.

4. 4

   Stir in Swiss chard and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

5. 5

   Stir in pasta and increase heat to medium-high and simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Italian parsley.