Minestra di Bobici
Minestra di Bobici is a hearty late-summer soup of fresh sweetcorn, borlotti beans and potatoes with smoked pork, known in Istrian and Slovene dialect as bobiči.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Chef's knife
- •Potato masher
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 9 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 440 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the diced smoked pancetta and fry until lightly browned and fragrant.
- 3
Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent.
- 4
Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute until aromatic.
- 5
Add the corn kernels, diced potatoes, borlotti beans and bay leaves.
- 6
Pour in the warm stock and bring to a gentle boil.
- 7
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- 8
Crush a few potato cubes with a masher against the pot side to thicken.
- 9
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- 10
Stir in the chopped parsley and rest off the heat for five minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Use raw fresh corn cobs rather than tinned corn to achieve the authentic sweet, starchy broth. Simmering the stripped corn cobs in the broth adds exceptional flavour before discarding them. Mashing a portion of the potatoes creates the signature rich, creamy texture without adding cream or flour.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoked pancetta → smoked pork rib or a piece of prosciutto skin
- fresh sweetcorn on the cob → frozen sweetcorn kernels if fresh cobs are out of season
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if the soup has thickened excessively.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using sweetened tinned corn, which alters the delicate natural flavour of the soup.
- •Skipping the potato mashing step, which leaves the broth too thin and watery.
Serving suggestions
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