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Winter Minestrone

Minestrone is a delicious seasonal vegetable soup. It can be made rich and hearty for the winter months or lighter for warmer weather. The beans used vary and some recipes include bacon for extra flavor and “heartiness” as well as chopped tomatoes. 

The following recipe is great for the colder months and yields almost one gallon of soup

Ingredients
  • ½ lb dried cannellini (white) beans, soaked overnight in 1 ½ qts. water and 1 ½ tbl salt (you can also use barlotti, red beans and/or garbanzos)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 4 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 qts water or stock (veg or chicken)
  • 2 bay leaves, 1 small sprig rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 large carrot, peeled and chopped (about 1½ cups)
  • 2 stalk celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small head Savoy or Napa cabbage, cored and shredded (about 6 cups)
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, rinsed and shredded (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup small pasta such macaroni, cooked to al dente 
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • Parmesan cheese, for grating 
Directions
1.     Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent but not browned. Stir in carrots and celery and cook another few minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste darkens in color slightly, about 2 minutes.
2.     Drain beans and rinse. Add to pot with stock, herbs, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are almost tender but retain a slight bite, about 45 minutes. Add more water or stock if needed. Add potatoes, chard and cabbage and cook until vegetables are completely softened, about 30 minutes longer. Stir in lemon zest. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper and more salt as needed.
3.     To serve soup, place about 1/4 cup cooked pasta into each serving bowl, ladle soup over, drizzle with chili oil (see below) and sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmesan.  

To make chile oil:
In a small pan, combine 1 tbl small whole dried red chiles or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
 and ½ cup olive oil. Heat, stirring occasionally, over very low heat until chiles toast and start to make a popping noise. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and allow to rest until cooled.


 

 

Photo used under Creative Commons from avlxyz