Packed with fresh vegetables, cheesy tortellini, and hearty pinquito beans, this soup has it all! There are a million ways to make minestrone soup – a classic Italian favorite - but we’ve given our version a Santa Maria twist by adding perfectly seasoned pinquito beans and utilizing their cooking liquid as the broth.
Ingredients:
- 1 (19 oz.) package Susie Q’s Pinquito Beans with Seasoning, prepared
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" half circles
- ¼ lb. green beans, cut into 1” pieces
- 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram
- 6 sprigs fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
- Cooking liquid from the beans plus water to equal 10 cups
- 2 links Swiss/Italian sausage
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade
- 1 cup fresh tortellini
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Susie Q's Santa Maria Style Seasoning, to taste
Directions:
- Puree ¾ cup of the prepared pinquito beans in a food processor until smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot and sauté the bacon, onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for about 10 minutes, until softened.
- Add the zucchini, green beans, and cabbage and continue sautéing for a few more minutes.
- Add the marjoram, parsley,1½ cups of the prepared pinquito beans, Susie Q’s Santa Maria Style Seasoning to taste, and the bean liquid/water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- While the soup is simmering, remove the sausage from the casing, crumble into pieces and sauté in a small pan until browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil and add the tortellini, sausage, and basil. Simmer until tortellini are cooked.
- Season with additional Susie Q’s Santa Maria Style Seasoning, if desired. Ladle into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Yields: 10-12 cups