Stanley Tucci's Grandma's One-Pot Summer Soup Is a Must-Make
Stanley Tucci, the iconic Italian actor and Searching for Italy star, recently took to Instagram to share his family’s cherished String Bean Minestra recipe. This easy "minestra" (which means soup in the Calabrian dialect), is something that both Tucci’s grandma — and coincidentally, my grandma — made regularly and something I enjoy eating to this day. Plus, it's the perfect summer soup because it's light, veggie-forward and full of flavor.
Hearing Tucci describe his method of cooking this particular minestra on social media had me salivating, so I headed into the kitchen, pulled out my favorite pan and started cooking.
Related: Stanley Tucci's Gnochetti with Sausage & Broccolini
Stanley Tucci's String Bean Minestra Recipe
Like most other Italian recipes, every family seems to have their own version of minestra and of course, every grandkid thinks their nonna's is the best. The recipe that was passed down to me is very similar to Tucci’s heirloom recipe.
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Both versions use water flavored with onions and garlic as the soup base. This is then fortified with a combination of chopped fresh tomatoes, zucchini and green beans — all vegetables that seemed to consistently be growing in my grandparents' garden. Unlike Tucci, my grandma would only occasionally add potatoes; most often the starch in this fabulous one-pot meal was homemade Italian bread.
Related: Martha Stewart One-Pot Pasta
This soup is easy to make and wonderful for quick weeknight meals. And as Tucci states on Instagram, "You don’t sauté anything, you don’t do anything like that. It’s a very light, light soup, but absolutely delicious." Although I'm partial to his meatless version, since that's how we always ate it as kids, you could easily add sausage or shredded chicken for a more filling, protein-packed meal.
What Makes This Minestra So Good
It's easy. Minestra is one of those one-pot meals that are big on flavor yet require minimal prep and clean-up.
It's versatile. Don't like green beans? You can easily substitute your favorite legume or another vegetable.
It's perfect for summer. Yes, it's a soup but it's one that doesn't need to be enjoyed piping hot. I actually prefer it at room temperature.
How to Make Stanley Tucci's Minestra
Theresa Greco
The ingredient list is short and sweet and includes lots of fresh veggies, such as tomatoes, green beans and zucchini that are all chopped into same-size pieces.
Once your veggies are prepped, you'll add them to a pot along with sliced onion, minced garlic and approximately 4 cups of water. I also like to add fresh thyme or oregano for extra flavor.
Theresa Greco
After that, you'll want to let the soup simmer until all the vegetables are tender, which should take around 30 minutes. You can serve it straight from the pot or let it to cool to room temperature before eating. (This is the way I prefer it.)
Yes, it's seriously that easy.
My Final Thoughts
Minestra is easily customizable so have fun with it! Add more or less veggies, and top it with freshly grated Grano Padano cheese or a drizzle of Calabrian chili oil. It's simple and simply perfect!
Theresa Greco