New York Corner Cafe Minestrone Soup - Standard Recipe

You Will Need

New York Corner Cafe Minestrone Soup Mix
8 oz. sliced bacon (or 8 oz. diced ham)
1 purple onion, diced (optional)
8 cups beef broth (64 oz.)
2 cups water
1 pint fresh (or 1 box frozen) Brussels sprouts, quartered or 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can (29 oz.) diced tomatoes

Here's What You Do

Preparing the Beans:

Pick through the beans. Remove discolored, shriveled beans and any foreign material. Rinse well and set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the Soup:

Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and sauté for 10 minutes over medium heat in a 6 or 8-quart pot until nearly crisp (or put diced ham in 6 or 8-quart pot).
Add onion, if using, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Stir in contents of vegetable & seasoning packet and toss lightly.
Add beans, beef broth and water to pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour or until beans soften.
Add tomatoes and Brussels sprouts (or shredded cabbage). Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Add pasta, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium?

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Bacon:

High in sodium on its own, but when the 8 oz. of bacon is spread across the 15 servings it adds ~ 85-100 mg of sodium per serving which is relatively low. However, to reduce the sodium we recommend using a low sodium bacon which reduces sodium by ~ 25-30%. Or use fresh ham that is unsmoked/uncured.

Tomatoes:

Instead of a regular can (29 oz.) of diced tomatoes, use a can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes or 3 cans (10 oz.) of no-salt-added diced tomatoes & green chilies for more heat.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein?

Add cooked ground turkey, beef, chicken, or sausage. Increase plant-based protein with extra legumes like white beans, lentils, or chickpeas. For a denser nutrient boost, add parmesan cheese/rinds and leafy greens like kale or spinach.

Cutting Calories/Fat?

Swap bacon for lean ground turkey or turkey bacon
Garnish with basil instead of cheese

More Veggies?

To boost vegetables, add 1 large chopped fennel bulb with the tomatoes and Brussel sprouts, and/or add 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas in the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Interested in whole grains or extra fiber?

Serve over a spoonful of cooked farro or brown rice

Looking for Mediterranean-Inspired additions?

Replace Parmesan with fresh basil or a drizzle of olive oil
Add grilled white fish or scallops for protein

Serving and Garnish Ideas

Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil or parsley. Pair with crusty bread, foccacia, or a side salad to create a complete meal. Enhance the flavor with red pepper flakes for heat or pesto for a fresh twist.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

Recommended slow cooker size: 6 quart

Here’s What You Do:

Preparing the beans the night before:

Rinse, drain and pick over the beans.
Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts water, let stand on counter overnight.

Assembling the soup in the morning (or the night before):

In the morning drain beans and place in 4-quart pot on the stove with fresh water to cover by two inches.
Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes and lower heat, simmer covered, 30 minutes.
Turn off heat, and drain when ready to add to slow cooker bowl
Cut bacon in 1/2 inch pieces and sauté over medium heat in a skillet until nearly crisp.
Add onion and contents of vegetable packet and sauté 5 minutes on low heat.
Transfer mixture to bowl of slow cooker. Drain beans and add to slow cooker bowl as well. (May cover and refrigerate overnight.)
Cover and cook on High 4-5 hours.
Add tomatoes and Brussels sprouts. Cover and cook on High 2 hours. Add pasta for last 30 minutes.

Pressure Cooker

We do not have a specific Pressure Cooker recipe for this soup at this time.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan

Minestrone, meaning “big soup” in Italian, can be big and flavorful without meat.

You Will Also Need:

2 Tbsp. oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 purple onion, diced
8 cups vegetable broth (64 oz.)
2 cups water
1-pint fresh Brussels sprouts, halved or 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can diced tomatoes (29 oz.)

Here’s What You Do:

Preparing the Beans:

Pick through the beans. Remove discolored, shriveled beans and any foreign material. Rinse well and set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the soup:

Sauté onions and garlic in oil over medium heat in a 6 or 8-quart pot for 5 minutes.
Stir in contents of soup mix vegetable packet and toss lightly.
Add beans, along with broth and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 1 hour.
Add tomatoes and Brussel sprouts (or shredded cabbage). Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Add pasta and cook uncovered for 10 minutes and serve.

Vegetarian

Omit bacon
Add 3 cloves minced garlic and 2 cups finely chopped parsnips
Sauté onion in vegetable oil for 5 minutes, add garlic and seasoning packet, then proceed with recipe

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Smoked Sausage & Cabbage Twist:
Substitute smoked ham hock for the bacon and add chopped smoked sausage. Use cabbage instead of Brussels sprouts and sauté it in butter before adding to the soup for extra flavor.

Ham or Beef Bone Option:
Use ham or beef bones in place of the bacon to create a richer, slow-simmered broth.

Southwest Style:
Substitute browned ground beef for the bacon and add squash, green beans, corn, and carrots for a hearty Southwestern spin.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to Yukon25, Susan M., and Brenda for sharing their ideas. Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.