AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Minestrone alla MilaneseMilanese Minestrone

Name: Milanese Minestrone
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 80 g Carnaroli rice; 50 g Lard or pork fat; 1 onion Onion; 2 stalks Celery; 2 carrots Carrots; 2 potatoes Potatoes; 1 zucchini Zucchini; 200 g Cooked borlotti beans; 200 g Canned whole tomatoes; 1 piece Parmigiano rind; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; a little Salt

Difficulty★★☆☆☆ Prep25 min Cook1 hr servings4

Milan-style minestrone finished with rice. A soffritto sautéed in lard or pork fat creates a deeply savory base. It can also be enjoyed cold in summer.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-05-28

100/ 100

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Ingredients (4 servings)

Carnaroli riceAdd at the end and simmer for 10 minutes.80 g
Lard or pork fatFinely chopped; for the soffritto.50 g
OnionFinely chopped.1 onion
CeleryFinely chopped.2 stalks
CarrotsCut into 1cm cubes.2 carrots
PotatoesCut into 1.5cm cubes.2 potatoes
ZucchiniCut into 1.5cm cubes.1 zucchini
Cooked borlotti beans200 g
Canned whole tomatoes200 g
Parmigiano rindSimmer in the soup to add savory flavor.1 piece
Extra virgin olive oilDrizzle over at the end.30 ml
Salta little

Method

18 min

Sauté the soffritto

1 Melt 50g lard in a large pot.
2 Finely chop 1 onion and 2 celery stalks.
3 Sauté over medium heat for 8 minutes.

Ready when

Proceed when the onion is translucent.

23 min

Add and sauté the vegetables

1 Cut 2 carrots into 1cm cubes.
2 Cut 2 potatoes into 1.5cm cubes.
3 Cut 1 zucchini into 1.5cm cubes.
4 Add to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes.

33 min

Add tomatoes and water

1 Add 200g whole tomatoes, crushing them by hand as you add them.
2 Add 1 piece of Parmigiano rind.
3 Add 1.5L water.

430 min

Simmer the vegetable soup

1 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
2 Simmer for 30 minutes.

Ready when

Proceed when the vegetables are tender.

510 min

Add the beans

1 Add 200g borlotti beans.
2 Simmer for a further 10 minutes.

612 min

Add the rice and finish cooking

1 Add 80g Carnaroli rice.
2 Simmer for 10–12 minutes.
3 Remove the Parmigiano rind.

Ready when

Proceed when the rice is still slightly firm, or al dente.

72 min

Season and serve

1 Season with salt.
2 Drizzle 30ml olive oil over the soup.

A view of Milano — MilanoItaly Photo: JasonParis from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

Vegetable-rich minestrone is essential to Milanese winter home cooking. Lombardy’s minestrone has a different character from the olive-oil-based soups of southern Italy, both in its addition of rice and its connection to a culture of pork fat and butter.

Minestrone alla milanese has long been an everyday dish that warms the family table in cold weather. While practical for using up leftover vegetables, Carnaroli rice and Parmigiano rind give it a substantial character typical of Lombardy.

Sometimes eaten cold in summer, it is home cooking that changes with the season. It is unshowy but clearly expresses the relationship among vegetables, rice, dairy and pork fat in Milanese kitchens.

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