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Minestrone

From Soups (1899).

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A historical recipe

Soups, by S Beaty-Pownall (1899).

Italy

Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. a pound of ham
  2. three handfuls of white haricot
  3. a slice of fat ham
  4. 3 quarts of stock

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Ham High in thiamine · High in vitamin B12 · High in selenium · +6

    High in thiamine · 0.7 mg per 100 g, 65% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Thiamine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Thiamine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Thiamine contributes to normal psychological function.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Thiamine contributes to the normal function of the heart.

    Thiamin (also called vitamin B1) helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need. Thiamin is important for the growth, development, and function of the cells in your body. NIH fact sheet

    High in vitamin B12 · 0.9 µg per 100 g, 38% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to normal psychological function.
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation.
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Vitamin B12 has a role in the process of cell division.

    Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep your body’s blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. NIH fact sheet

    High in selenium · 20 µg per 100 g, 36% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    High in protein · 16 g per 100 g, 25% of the energy from protein

    • Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
    • Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

    Source of niacin · 4.2 mg per 100 g, 26% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Niacin contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Niacin contributes to normal psychological function.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes.
    • Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
    • Niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

    Niacin (also called vitamin B3) helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need. Niacin is important for the development and function of the cells in your body. NIH fact sheet

    Source of vitamin B6 · 0.3 mg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal cysteine synthesis.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    7 more authorised claims
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal psychological function.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to normal red blood cell formation.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.

    Vitamin B6 is a vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. The body needs vitamin B6 for more than 100 enzyme reactions involved in metabolism. NIH fact sheet

    Source of potassium · 311 mg per 100 g, 16% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Potassium contributes to normal muscle function.
    • Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

    Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs potassium for almost everything it does, including proper kidney and heart function, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. NIH fact sheet

    Source of phosphorus · 157 mg per 100 g, 22% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of zinc · 1.9 mg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Zinc contributes to normal DNA synthesis.
    • Zinc contributes to normal acid-base metabolism.
    • Zinc contributes to normal carbohydrate metabolism.
    15 more authorised claims
    • Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function.
    • Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction.
    • Zinc contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism.
    • Zinc contributes to normal metabolism of fatty acids.
    • Zinc contributes to normal metabolism of vitamin A.
    • Zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood.
    • Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
    • Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Zinc contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
    • Zinc has a role in the process of cell division.

    Zinc is a nutrient that people need to stay healthy. Zinc is found in cells throughout the body. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Ham, minced”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. This is an Italian soup, and really means little more than the superlative of minestra or broth ;
  2. but it is stronger and thicker than the latter.
  3. For this chop up half a pound of ham, and put it into a pan with a savoy coarsely shredded, two or three handfuls of white haricot or flageolet beans, and a slice of fat ham or bacon ;
  4. moisten it all with about 2^ to 3 quarts of stock, and bring it sharply to the boil;
  5. keep it boiling for ten minutes.
  6. Then add some young celery roots cut up small, some more cabbage (three or four good spoonfuls of the shred vegetable) and about the same of haricot beans ;
  7. again let it all boil for about ten minutes, then put in a couple of smoked Milanese sausages, a handful or two each of young broad beans, asparagus points, and green peas, and lOoz.
  8. of rice, and let it all cook till the rice is done, which it should be in rather under a quarter-of-an-hour.
  9. At the last stir a good ladleful of grated Parmesan into the soup, put the vegetables, &c., into the tureen, and the sausages sliced, and pour the soup all on to it and serve.
  10. The stock for this need only be the thinnest of second stock.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Grater
  • Wooden spoon
  • Ladle
Source not stated by archive.org
Credit

From Soups (1899), printed page 112, digitised by the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/b28053163

What was changed: Read by machine from the book's scanned text into ingredients and method. The title's capitals were tidied; spelling and scanning errors are left as they are.