Surprisingly, you start this Italian Vegetable Soup recipe by cooking pancetta. Unsurprisingly, it's going to add beautiful, smoky notes to your broth. Cook by adding your vegetables and liquids in layers, then let everything simmer together. Serve this Italian soup warm with fresh basil and parmesan.
Place the pancetta and olive oil into a dutch oven or large soup pot, then heat to medium; see Note 2. Allow the oil and pancetta to heat until sizzling, then saute, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is golden brown and crispy, 6-7 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
Add tomato paste and work into the vegetables. Cook 2-3 minutes to work off the canned flavor.
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot and dissolve the tomato paste. Stir constantly until the tomato paste is dissolved and any browned bits from the bottom of the pot have been absorbed.
Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, white beans with their canning liquid, Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, and bay leaf. Give everything a good stir, then increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to maintain a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini, squash, and green beans and stir until well combined. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the softer vegetables are just barely tender.
Stir in the lemon juice, then taste for seasoning; adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, and serve right away. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1. If you cannot find pancetta, substitute four slices of thick cut bacon, chopped into ½” pieces. Note 2. Pancetta's smoke point hovers around 400°F, which is on the low side of medium. This means you should never cook on high heat or the pancetta will burn. Cooking on medium-low to medium heat will ensure the fat renders properly without smoking and your meat will crisp without burning.