Minestrone\u2014that famous medley of veggies, beans and macaroni in tomato broth\u2014means \u201cthick soup\u201d in Italian. But don\u2019t stop with veggies\u2014switch it up with tender bites of chicken. Chicken pumps up the flavor, mellows out the tomatoes, and turns a chunky soup into even more of a meal. Pressure-Cooker Chicken Minestrone falls somewhere between stew and soup\u2014”stoup,\u201d if you will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We got our classic minestrone from longtime pal Elinor Lipman. Most people know her for her novels, but she\u2019s also a clever cook and baker. Her latest success, Ms. Demeanor<\/em>, is a finalist for this year\u2019s prestigious Thurber Prize for American Humor. In it, to our delight, she spices up her usual witty dialog and romantic shenanigans with a little fun with food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With minestrone, ingredients and quantities depend upon your mood and what\u2019s in your fridge. Swap out different veggies and beans and see what happens. In the great Italian tradition, Ellie\u2019s minestrone recipe provides guidelines rather than strict instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n LIke snowflakes, no two minestrones are alike. So we take liberties and add more tomatoes than Ellie would. We also prefer chicken bouillon over broth because it’s easy, inexpensive, and adds salt and flavor. But we follow Ellie’s pressure-cooker technique and, as she suggests, include at least one legume and one cruciferous vegetable like cabbage or broccoli.<\/p>\n\n\n And when we can, we use what she calls her favorite flavoring. “I cook it the whole time with a rind of old Parmesan,” says Ellie. “I never throw those babies away.”<\/p>\n\n\n Since chicken bouillon already plays a role, so why not throw in some cubed chicken breast, too? To keep it tender, don\u2019t pressure-cook the chicken with the veggies. Instead, saut\u00e9 until barely done, set aside, and then add to the hot soup to finish cooking just before serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And try chicken tenderloins. A fattier part of the breast, they are slightly richer and seem to stay more tender in the soup. They also come in small, easy-to-prep pieces. Since the soup doesn\u2019t need a lot of meat, it\u2019s worth the splurge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We add macaroni to the bowls rather than the pot so it won\u2019t get all bloated. Besides, we like extra macaroni in our soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pressure cooker or Instant Pot cooks veggies fast, locking in both color and flavor. But if you don\u2019t have the appliance, just triple cooking time. And while you\u2019re waiting the extra time, order a pressure cooker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chicken minestrone makes a simple, hearty dinner with some crusty bread. But do what you want with this recipe. No Polizia di Minestrone will ever knock at your door.<\/p>\n\n\n Adapted from Elinor Lipman\u2019s pressure-cooker minestrone recipe Minestrone\u2014that famous medley of veggies, beans and macaroni in tomato broth\u2014means \u201cthick soup\u201d in Italian. But don\u2019t stop with veggies\u2014switch it up with tender bites of chicken. Chicken pumps up the flavor, mellows out the tomatoes, and turns a chunky soup into even more of a meal. Pressure-Cooker Chicken Minestrone falls somewhere between stew and soup\u2014”stoup,\u201d if you will. We got our classic minestrone from longtime pal Elinor Lipman. Most people know her for her novels, but she\u2019s also a clever cook and baker. Her latest success, Ms. Demeanor, is a finalist for this year\u2019s prestigious Thurber Prize for American Humor. In it, to our delight, she spices up her usual witty dialog and romantic shenanigans with a little fun with food. With minestrone, ingredients and quantities depend upon your mood and what\u2019s in your fridge. Swap out different veggies and beans and see what happens. In the great Italian tradition, Ellie\u2019s minestrone recipe provides guidelines rather than strict instructions. LIke snowflakes, no two minestrones are alike. So we take liberties and add more tomatoes than Ellie would. We also prefer chicken bouillon over broth because it’s easy, inexpensive, and adds salt and flavor. But we follow Ellie’s pressure-cooker technique and, as she suggests, include at least one legume and one cruciferous vegetable like cabbage or broccoli. And when we can, we use what she calls her favorite flavoring. “I cook it the whole time with a rind of old Parmesan,” says Ellie. “I never throw those babies away.” Since chicken bouillon already plays a role, so why not throw in some cubed chicken breast, too? To keep it tender, don\u2019t pressure-cook the chicken with the veggies. Instead, saut\u00e9 until barely done, set aside, and then add to the hot soup to finish cooking just before serving. And try chicken tenderloins. A fattier part of the breast, they are slightly richer and seem to stay more tender in the soup. They also come in small, easy-to-prep pieces. Since the soup doesn\u2019t need a lot of meat, it\u2019s worth the splurge. We add macaroni to the bowls rather than the pot so it won\u2019t get all bloated. Besides, we like extra macaroni in our soup. The pressure cooker or Instant Pot cooks veggies fast, locking in both color and flavor. But if you don\u2019t have the appliance, just triple cooking time. And while you\u2019re waiting the extra time, order a pressure cooker. Chicken minestrone makes a simple, hearty dinner with some crusty bread. But do what you want with this recipe. No Polizia di Minestrone will ever knock at your door. Pressure-Cooker Chicken Minestrone Adapted from Elinor Lipman\u2019s pressure-cooker minestrone recipeServes 6-9<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,332,12,77,96,270],"tags":[917,916,915],"class_list":["post-8033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicken","category-italian","category-main-dish","category-soups","category-technique","category-vegetables","tag-chicken-soup-with-vegetables-and-tomatoes","tag-chunky-soup","tag-minestrone"],"yoast_head":"\nPressure-Cooker Chicken Minestrone<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
Serves 6-9<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n