Monday, October 3, 2011

Minestrone and Blackforest Ham Panini

Since the weather is starting to cool down some, I was in the mood for some soup. I love the Minestrone at Olive Garden, so I thought I'd give it a try....I found several "copycat" recipes of the Olive Garden version....funny thing, they were ALL different. So I just took a little from them all and came up with my own. Soup didn't seem like enough, so I decided to make some paninis. The soup makes A LOT!

Ingredients for the Minestrone:

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 small yellow onion - chopped
  • 1 small zucchini - chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
  • 1 stalk celery - chopped
  • 4 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 can kidney beans - drained
  • 1 can Great Northern Beans - drained
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 tbsp. minced parsley
  • 1 tsp. Oregano
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • 1.5 cups hot water
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup pasta (I used rotini) but most recipes call for the shell pasta
Ingredients for Panini's


  • Black Forest Ham
  • Fontina Cheese - shredded
  • Italian Bread
  • Dijon Mustard
Steps for Minestrone:
  • Heat Olive oil in stock pot on Medium High heat
  • Add in onion, garlic, celery, zucchini, and green beans....saute for about 5 min

  • Add in broth, tomatoes, beans, and hot water



  • Next add in the carrots and spices
  • Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes
  • Add in pasta and spinach, and let simmer for another 20 minutes (or longer)



Steps for Paninis:
  • Turn on panini grill or in my case - the George Foreman
  • Spread mustard onto 1 side of the bread for each sandwich you are making
  • Top with Black Forest Ham (1-2 pieces or more if you like)
  • Top with some of the fontina cheese
  • Then top with your bread
  • I sprayed each side of the sandwich with a small amount of olive oil
  • Spray the foreman with a small amount of oil on each place
  • Place sandwiches on the grill, and shut the lid, but do not push it down on the sandwich.
  • Cook for about 5 minutes, once cheese is melted and bread is toasted to your liking
  • Slice in half and serve alongside the soup....Enjoy!

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